Excessive Heat — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2012-06-29 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Wider weather episode

An unseasonably hot and humid day produced high temperatures in the mid to upper 90s in Eastern Pennsylvania (except in the Poconos). Combined with the humidity levels, maximum hourly heat indices reached around 100F in the Lehigh Valley and around 105F in Berks County and Southeast Pennsylvania. The excessive heat claimed the life of a 70-year-old man in Philadelphia. The windows to his home were closed and a fan was found running. The heat then set the stage for the powerful derecho that moved through southern New Jersey later that night. High temperatures on the 29th included 98 degrees at the Philadelphia International Airport and Northeast Philadelphia Airport, 97 degrees in Reading (Berks County), 96 degrees at the Lehigh Valley International Airport and 95 degrees in Doylestown (Bucks County) and Pottstown (Montgomery County). While high temperatures on the 30th reached into the lower 90s, the derecho brought in slighter drier air in its wake.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 388346. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.