PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Tuesday brought heat indexes near 100 degrees to Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley. That may feel downright cool, compared to the oppressive heat and humidity to come later this week, with heat indexes anticipated to reach as high as 110.
For that reason, the City of Philadelphia has issued a heat health emergency, effective from Wednesday at 12 p.m. until Friday at 8 p.m.
The city is activating a series of emergency heat programs including:
- Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s Heatline (215-765-9040, operating Wednesday 12 p.m.-12 a.m., Thursday 8:30 a.m.-12 a.m., Friday 8:30 a.m.-8 p.m.)
- The city's cooling centers (see below)
- Field teams making special home visits
- Daytime outreach for the city's homeless
The city's cooling centers will include these libraries, which will operate until 7 p.m. from Wednesday until Friday:
- Frankford Library, 4634 Frankford Avenue
- Haddington Library, 445 North 65th Street
- Lillian Marrero Library, 601 West Lehigh Avenue
- Paschalville Library, 6942 Woodland Ave
- Widener Library, 2808 West Lehigh Avenue
The following libraries will operate those days until 8 p.m.:
- Blanche A. Nixon Cobbs Creek Library, 5800 Cobbs Creek Parkway
- Fox Chase Library, 501 Rhawn Street
- Joseph E. Coleman Regional Library, 68 West Chelten Avenue
- Lucien E. Blackwell Regional Library, 125 South 52nd Street
- West Oak Lane Library, 2000 East Washington Lane
- Whitman Library, 200 Snyder Avenue
The Philadelphia Fire Department will also offer air-conditioned buses for people to cool off. They will operate from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Masks will be required, per COVID-19 public transit protocol. Cooling buses will be at these locations:
- Germantown and West Hunting Park avenues
- West Wyoming and Rising Sun avenues
- South Broad Street and Snyder Avenue
The city's pools and 92 spraygrounds will also be operating. Click here for a map of those locations.
Philadelphia may also close the city-run COVID-19 vaccine clinics early on those days. Those who wish to get the vaccine are encouraged to call 311 or click here for updates, or to reschedule any appointments.
Three days of triple-digit heat indexes expected
"Whatever you've gone through this summer, this is going to be the toughest week," NBC10 meteorologist Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz told KYW Newsradio's Michelle Durham on Tuesday afternoon.
"We're going to feel like 107 tomorrow at the highest point of the day. Thursday, 109."
Then comes what Glenn forecasts as the hottest day of 2021, a heat index of 110 on Friday, "and even higher than that in the middle of town with all the concrete."
"That is pretty serious," Glenn warns.
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In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency said that pavement can be much, much hotter than the actual outside temperature.
"On a hot, sunny summer day, the sun can heat dry, exposed urban surfaces, like roofs and pavement, to temperatures 50 to 90°F (27 to 50°C) hotter than the air," an EPA study said.
"On average, the difference in daytime surface temperatures between developed and rural areas is 18 to 27°F (10 to 15°C); the difference in nighttime surface temperatures is typically smaller, at 9 to 18°F (5 to 10°C)."
That doesn't mean the air by the concrete has that high of an increase in temperature, but it's still hotter.
The National Weather Service already issued an excessive heat warning for most of the Delaware Valley.
It strongly advises that if you have to be outside in the afternoon or before sundown, to follow these steps.
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