Heat and humidity will build for the afternoon, heightening a severe weather risk for the Lehigh Valley on Friday, forecasters say. It comes before a heat wave arrives in the region next week.
Heat index outlooks — projecting what it feels like outside with the heat and humidity combined — push feels-like temperatures near triple digits between June 17-21 and top 100 degrees in the Lehigh Valley between June 19-25.
The weather pattern this week will be a tale of two halves, with sunny skies and comfortable temperatures before things heat up in a big way. The region's first heat wave could also be looming, forecasters warn.
The Storm Prediction Center has maintained a marginal risk (1 out of 5) for the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas Thursday, with the primary threat being damaging winds.
“The pleasant stretch of weather we encountered early in the week is beyond us,” the National Weather Service said in its latest forecast discussion, with the Lehigh Valley at risk of excessive rainfall Wednesday.