Weather Journal: NYC Heat Wave to Boil Record Books

The second heat wave of 2011 will get cranking, with temperatures nearing 90 degrees and likely staying there for the rest of the week.
Computer weather models are getting more and more pessimistic about this week’s heat streak, upping temps by about five degrees for each day this week in the most recent model run. It now looks like temperatures will be 90 degrees or better for the remaining four days this week, with heat index values over 100 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday. I’d expect record highs to be broken across the tri-state on both days.
As any public health expert can tell you, it’s not necessarily the high temperatures during a heat wave that are the most dangerous — it’s the abnormally elevated LOW temperatures. Without a chance to recover at night, there’s considerably more stress is placed on the body, potentially leading to heat stroke or death. On Wednesday night, temperatures will bottom out at around 80 degrees in the city — marking the height of danger for this week’s heat wave. Thursday will be the hottest day of the year so far, with the mercury reaching 97 degrees.
Heat waves are already one of the top weather-related killers in the U.S. By the 2050s, New York City could see 47% to 95% more heat related deaths each year due to climate change, according to a Columbia University study published in the American Journal of Public Health. The National Weather Service has tips on how to beat a heat wave, and a bit more information on how heat wave forecasts work.
The second heat wave of 2011 will get cranking, with temperatures nearing 90 degrees and likely staying there for the rest of the week.

Extreme Weather in Boston, NYC, Philadelphia : Tornado Watches in Effect

This year’s wild weather has seen tornadoes ravage the south and the mid-west, followed by unseasonably warm temperatures across many of the states over the past week. The wild weather took another crazy turn today, with tornado watches being issued for much of the East Coast, from Maine all the way down to Pennsylvania.
A tornado touched down in western Massachusetts (video below) just hours ago, with widespread damage being reported in Hampden and Springfield, Massachusetts, the state’s third largest city. The bad weather in the Boston area and the east coast is expected to continue until around 8 PM EDT.
A tornado watch means that the conditions in the atmosphere are favorable for the formation of a tornado, although this does not necessarily mean that a tornado will touch down. If you’re in the watch area, stay tuned to your local weather station for updates. According to the National Weather Service, 70 mph wind gusts and hail measuring 2 inches in diamater is possible.