Season’s First Heat Wave Expected To End With A Bang On Sunday

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Berks County‘s first official heat wave of the year is expected to morph into the first major summertime thunderstorm, starting Sunday afternoon into evening with gusty winds of 60 mph, torrential downpours, lots of lightning strikes and perhaps some damage, a meteorologist said.

“It certainly could pack a punch,” said Erik Pindrock of AccuWeather near State College.

Since it’s expected to be the first major lightning storm of the season, Pindrock said it’s important for everyone – but especially those working outside – to take it seriously, learn the facts about lightning and take the proper precautions, which mostly is to get inside.

“It’s a good rule that, if you’re outside and can hear thunder, it’s probably close enough to get hit by lightning,” said Pindrock, who grew up in Shillington.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=482165

For The Record, August Not So Hot

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

August was a rather tame month weatherwise in Berks County, with temperature and rainfall a bit above normal.

“Although thunderstorms brought minor flooding or wind damage to a few areas of Berks, the severe weather was isolated and less than average,” said Jeffrey R. Stoudt, organizer of the Berks Area Rainfall Network.

Much of the rain fell during the unsettled stormy pattern at midmonth. It helped cut into the ongoing precipitation deficit.

For the year at Reading Regional Airport, the official National Weather Service site in Berks, 21.89 inches of precipitation has been recorded. That is about 35 percent below the normal of 28.96 inches through August.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=412957

Summer 2012 Weather: A Variable Outlook

If you like variety, this will be the summer for you.

A few days of hot weather, followed by storm, then a few days of cooler weather. Repeat.

That could be what awaits us from June to August, based on several long-term forecasts.

“Maybe this is a summer where we don’t have long heat waves of a week or 10 days of 90 degrees,” said Millersville University meteorologist Eric Horst. “Instead, they come in smaller clusters, a couple of days in the 90s and then a front goes through and we get relief.”

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/644340_Summer-weather–A-variable-outlook.html

How Do You Know When It’s Too Hot!

You know it’s too hot outside when this happens:

Philly And Reading Set High Temp Records Today

And the heat goes on!  Philadelphia and Reading set high temperature records today.  Imagine that!  The temperature in Philly hit 97 degrees this afternoon while Reading came in a degree cooler at 96!  Previous high temps for both cities were in 1987.

2010 Hottest Year On Record?

Each of the 10 warmest average global temperatures recorded since 1880 have occurred in the last fifteen years. The warmest year-to-date on record, through June, was 1998, and 2010 is warmer so far (note: although 1998 was the warmest year through June, a late-year warm surge in 2005 made that year the warmest total year). Analysis by the National Climatic Data Center reveals that June of 2010 was the warmest global average for that month on record, and is also the warmest year-to-date from January to June…..read the entire article at:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100715_globalstats_sup.html

Hot Summer Predicted With Many Hurricanes

Meteorologists are predicting an extremely hot summer that will peak in August (don’t they all, haha) with very high temperatures and above average hurricane activity.

The Gulf Coast hasn’t rebounded from Katrina yet!  They are predicting New Jersey will take a major hit.  The ocean temps off Cape May are already 67 degree which is significantly above normal.  The warm water lends itself to hurricanes.

I have been hearing that we will see 100 degree days etc…. so I see high PECO bills in my future.  Must have a/c!  This could be a drought summer with those kinds of sustained temperatures.  I must say we are off to a very HOT start already.