‘Oppressive’ Heat Returns To NJ Wednesday: What To Know

NEW JERSEY - Dangerously hot conditions are expected to return to the Garden State this week with “feels-like” temperatures up to 104 degrees, forecasters said.

The surge of very hot air this week could actually prove to be the hottest weather of the year, AccuWeather meteorologists said. The service predicts afternoon temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal with increased risk of heat-related illness and challenged daily records.

Wednesday and Friday are expected to see high temperatures in the low-90s, with Thursday to bring “oppressive” temperatures nearing 100 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. But that's without taking humidity into account, which could make days feel much hotter, especially in areas along and southeast of the I-95 corridor.

Very warm and muggy conditions at night won’t be able to offer much relief either, the agency said.

AccuWeather’s predicted RealFeel Temperatures will approach or exceed the 100-degree mark for several hours on Thursday afternoon over much of the Northeast, the weather service said, with RealFeel Temperatures to range between 105 and 110 for a few hours near the coast.

As of Wednesday morning, 17 New Jersey counties are listed under a heat advisory, in effect through 8 p.m. on Friday. The counties are:

• Monmouth
• Ocean
• Burlington
• Gloucester
• Camden
• Mercer
• Middlesex
• Sussex
• Somerset
• Essex
• Morris
• Passaic
• Union
• Bergen
• Hudson
• Warren
• Hunterdon

“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors,” the National Weather Service said in the advisory. “Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.”

The silver lining: the heat will wane heading into the weekend, as Saturday will see temperatures once again dip back into the 80s.

Here's the latest forecast, per the National Weather Service:

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 91. North wind around 5 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69. South wind around 5 mph.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 105. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Southwest wind around 5 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.