Triple Digit Heat, Storms Target NJ In Weekend Forecast

NEW JERSEY — Turn up the A/C or head to the shore, because New Jersey is in for an incredibly hot and humid weekend, along with chances of scattered thunderstorms.

By Friday afternoon, the heat index is expected to reach more than 100 degrees in most of the state, according to the latest forecast by the National Weather Service.

Excessive heat means that parts of Central and South Jersey will be under a heat advisory starting Friday morning through Saturday. In these areas, you can expect heat indices to be 100 to 104 degrees, forecasters say.

As we head into the afternoon, scattered storms are possible in North Jersey. Locally heavy rain will likely be the biggest concern, according to the National Weather Service, but the strongest storms may produce damaging wind gusts.

Overnight, it will still be very hot and muggy, with things only getting worse on Saturday. It'll be another heat advisory day with heat indices of up to 105 degrees, the National Weather Service said.

Saturday afternoon will have a "pretty good chance of showers and storms," forecasters say. Again, the greatest risk will be locally heavy rain but isolated severe storms cannot be ruled out.

Areas southeast of I-95 will have the chance of showers and storms lingering into Sunday. The good news is that while highs on Sunday look to be similar to the highs on Saturday, the humidity shouldn't be as bad, so another heat advisory is unlikely. By Sunday night things will be "a little more comfortable," according to the National Weather Service, and mostly dry conditions are in store.

Here's the weekend forecast by region.

North Jersey

Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 97. South wind 5 to 9 mph.

Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 a.m. Patchy fog after 11 p.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind 5 to 8 mph.

Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Heat index values as high as 98. South wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2 a.m. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 75. South wind 5 to 8 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Sunday: Patchy fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 90. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the morning.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 73.

Central Jersey

Today: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 102. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Patchy fog after 4 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: A chance of showers before 11 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Patchy fog before 10 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 103. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 8 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. Southwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 a.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.

South Jersey

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 103. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between midnight and 5 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: A slight chance of showers before 11am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 103. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 2 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 71. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 89. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69.