Pittsburgh Facing Oppressive Heat As Beryl Remnants Approach

PITTSBURGH, PA — Prepare for a wild weather week in the Pittsburgh area. The week begins with stifling temperatures and poor air quality, with the remnants of Hurricane Beryl potentially causing severe storms later this week.

The National Weather Service says to expect scorching temperatures, with a high temperature of around 94 degrees today and 95 tomorrow. The hot weather has prompted the city of Pittsburgh to open cooling centers today and tomorrow from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. at senior centers in Beechview, Greenfield, Homewood, Sheraden and on the South Side.

The weather service says there is a moderate heat risk for people today and a major one tomorrow.

Additionally, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Alert for the greater Pittsburgh region, including Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, Armstrong, Washington, Westmoreland and Fayette counties.

A Code Orange alert means that air pollution in the region could become unhealthy for sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children, the elderly and people suffering from asthma, heart disease, or other lung diseases.

The remnants of Hurrcane Beryl, which made landfall early Monday in Texas, and a front pushing through the area could lead to thunderstorms with potentially heavy rainfall on Wednesday and Wednesday night. Some storms will also have the potential to produce damaging winds and perhaps a tornado.