TOMS RIVER, NJ – The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory and a flood watch for the Central New Jersey regional area and surrounding counties Tuesday as temperatures soar and thunderstorms bring the risk of heavy rainfall.
The heat advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with heat index values expected to reach as high as 103 degrees. Affected areas include Philadelphia, Delaware, Camden, Gloucester, Burlington, and Ocean counties, as well as parts of northern Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania.
Forecasters are urging residents to take precautions against heat-related illness, particularly during peak afternoon hours.
In addition to the heat, a flood watch has been issued from Tuesday afternoon through the evening. Showers and thunderstorms, some producing heavy rain, are expected mainly after 3 p.m., with a 30% chance of precipitation in the afternoon increasing to 60% overnight. Rainfall totals of up to three-quarters of an inch are possible, with higher amounts in isolated storms.
Tuesday’s high is expected near 95 degrees, with a low around 72. The heat index may climb above 100. A west wind near 5 mph is forecast.
Conditions remain unsettled Wednesday, with a 40% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and continued chances of rain into Wednesday night.
The warnings apply to multiple counties across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and parts of Maryland, including urban areas such as Wilmington, Cherry Hill, Mount Holly, Media, and Philadelphia.
Authorities are monitoring for possible localized flooding in areas with poor drainage.
The region faces the dual threat of dangerous heat and flash flooding as storms roll through.