Excessive Heat — Warren, New Jersey

2008-06-07 to 2008-06-10 · Warren, New Jersey

Wider weather episode

The most oppressive heat wave of the meteorological summer affected New Jersey from June 7th through the 10th. The combination of high temperatures well into the 90s to around 100 and dew point temperatures in the 70s produced apparent temperatures or heat indices values as high as around 100 in northern New Jersey and around 105 in southern New Jersey. Most of the highest temperatures occurred on the 10th, except at the shore where the highest temperatures occurred on the 9th. The highest apparent temperatures occurred on both the 7th and the 10th.

Trying to escape the heat led to the drowning death of a 34-year-old male in the Delaware River off of Warren County on the 8th. Four men attempted to cross the Delaware River from the Hialeah Picnic Area in the Delaware Water Gap in Monroe County. They made it safely to Labar Island just south of Tocks Island. The four continued crossing the river toward New Jersey, when he started having trouble midway toward the New Jersey coast near Worthington State Forest in Hardwick Township.

The excessive heat caused many heat related injuries across the state. Many cooling centers were opened to assist senior citizens. The heat also caused a few roadways to buckle. Schools were still in session and many that did not have air conditioning dismissed children early on the 9th and 10th. A couple of schools cancelled classes altogether. Some after school activities were cancelled outright; others were shifted to air conditioned locations. The excessive heat caused some scattered and mainly localized power outages. There was about a twenty-five percent increase in vehicle distress calls. There was also a surge in purchases of air conditioners and pools.

In northwest New Jersey, 3,000 homes and businesses lost power mainly on the 9th. In Middlesex County, cooling centers were opened at libraries and community centers in four municipalities. In Pert Amboy, a medical tent saw a steady stream of visitors complaining of dehydration at Puerto Rican Day on the 7th. Northbound New Jersey State Route 35 was closed on the afternoon of the 8th after a drawbridge between Sayreville and Old Bridge got stuck in the upright position. In Monmouth and Ocean Counties about 10,000 homes and businesses lost power. The air conditioning failed on the campus of Ocean County College, cancelling classes. In Mercer County, schools in Trenton were closed on the 10th. Cooling centers were opened in all of the municipalities' neighborhood community centers as well as nine county libraries. In Camden (Camden County), spray pools were opened. In Atlantic County, the Dorset Avenue Bridge in Ventnor was closed. In Cape May County, on the afternoon of the 8th New Jersey State Route 52 Causeway Bridge into Ocean City was closed for 90 minutes because the bridge would not close. Boats were detoured the rest of the afternoon until temperatures dropped. Heat sensitive crops such as lettuce and zucchini wilted on some southern New Jersey farms.

Highest temperatures included 100 degrees in Hammonton (Atlantic County), Wrightstown (Burlington County), Berkeley Township and Toms River (both Ocean County), 99 degrees in Hillsborough (Somerset County) and Mount Laurel (Burlington County), 98 degrees in Sicklerville (Gloucester County), the Atlantic City International Airport and Margate (both Atlantic County), Millville (Cumberland County) and Lindenwold (Camden County), 97 degrees in Fort Monmouth (Monmouth County), Boonton (Morris County), Hightstown (Mercer County), New Brunswick (Middlesex County) and Upper Deerfield (Cumberland County), 96 degrees in Woodstown (Salem County), Chatham (Morris County), Cape May (Cape May County), Belvidere (Warren County), Flemington (Hunterdon County), Andover (Sussex County), Trenton (Mercer County) and Woodbine (Cape May County), 94 degrees in Hackettstown (Warren County) and 92 degrees in Barnegat (Ocean County).

The heat wave helped June 2008 to be one of the warmest Junes on record. At the Atlantic City International Airport, the June monthly mean temperature of 74.9 degrees (5.2 degrees warmer than normal) was the warmest June on record. In Trenton, the June monthly mean temperature of 74.3 degrees (3.3 degrees warmer than normal) was the 7th warmest June on record. For the state of New Jersey, it was the 2nd warmest June on record since 1895.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 114290. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.