NEW JERSEY — Scorching hot temperatures sparked a heat advisory in New Jersey and an air quality alert in New York on Monday, the National Weather Service said.
Much of the Garden State was under a heat advisory as of 11 a.m. It’s set to last until 8 p.m. for Passaic, Bergen Essex, Union, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Hudson Counties in New Jersey. Portions of Westchester County in New York are also under that advisory.
The heat index values are expected to be up to about 100 with the highest being in the mid to late afternoon hours.
When exposed to extreme heat, illness and death are among the risks the population can face if they do not stay cool, the weather service said.
Heat causes more than 600 preventable deaths in the United States yearly, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo advised New Yorkers to avoid outdoor physical activity following air quality health advisories with elevated levels of ozone in the air.
That air quality alert is in effect until 11 p.m. Monday for the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, Orange, Putnam and Rockland counties.
Along with the sweltering temperatures comes a marginal risk for severe thunderstorms, the weather service said. Those storms could appear in much of the area north and west of New York City and if any storms do occur, they’ll likely happen in the late afternoon or evening with the primary concerns being local spots of heavy rainfall and strong, gusty winds.
