New Jersey’s dreary weather pattern is expected to worsen in the coming days, with threats of severe thunderstorms breaking out on Wednesday and Thursday along with temperatures and humidity rising to dangerous levels in parts of our region.
Heavy cloud cover — something that’s been dominating the sky over New Jersey for several weeks — is forecast throughout the day on Wednesday, with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms expected at times as a warm front moves in.
The National Weather Service says some of the thunderstorms have the potential to become severe, with intense downpours, small hail, and wind gusts that could be strong enough to knock down tree branches and utility wires.
Areas shaded in dark green have a marginal threat of getting severe thunderstorms with damaging winds on Wednesday, June 18. Marginal is the lowest threat level on a 5-point severity scale.Storm Prediction Center
On top of the thunderstorm threat, which will be slightly higher in the state’s southern region on Wednesday, forecasters say temperatures could rise into the upper 80s to low 90s.
With high humidity factored in, it could feel as hot as the upper 90s in the Philadelphia metro region and southern New Jersey.
The weather service has issued heat advisories for Camden, Gloucester and Mercer counties, along with the northwestern region of Burlington County, effective from 11 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Thursday.
Although sunshine will finally return to the Garden State on Thursday, temperatures will rise into the low 90s, which could add fuel to waves of thunderstorms that are expected to ramp up in the afternoon and evening, forecasters said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the national Storm Prediction Center is anticipating more widespread thunderstorms on Thursday compared to Wednesday, though any of the storms on either day could become severe.
Dry conditions will likely return on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with abundant sunshine but temperatures rising higher each day.
By Monday, some areas of New Jersey could see the mercury rise as high as the upper 90s and possibly make a run for 100 degrees.
The state has had only a handful of days this year with temperatures reaching 90 degrees. The warmest day was June 12, when parts of Burlington and Ocean counties hit 93 degrees, parts of Essex County reached 92 degrees and parts of Atlantic County hit 91 degrees.
Last summer, the state’s main weather reporting station — Newark Liberty International Airport — recorded a temperature of 100 degrees during an intense heat wave on June 21 and again on Aug. 1.
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Stories by Len Melisurgo
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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com or on X at @LensReality.