A heat warning is in effect for Philadelphia until Wednesday; an air quality warning goes into effect on Monday

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The scorching heat is back, with highs today reaching just over 35 degrees Celsius.

When humidity is taken into account, many areas of the Delaware Valley will feel like 36-39°C.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat warning for the period from 3 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday morning. A heat warning is currently still in effect for Wednesday.

While some sudden afternoon thunderstorms cannot be ruled out, they will likely remain below severe weather criteria. The biggest threat will be lightning, so if you are outside, get outside at the first sighting.

Due to the higher humidity, temperatures could easily reach 38 degrees on Monday and 40 to 43 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday. For this reason, we have issued the next weather warnings for all three days.

Observations and warnings

An air quality warning is in effect for all of Central and South Jersey until noon Monday. The Air Quality Partnership and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health have issued an air quality warning: Code Orange Ozone Action Day for Monday.

The health department said that during the air quality action days, people should protect their health by limiting strenuous outdoor activities.

A heat warning is in effect for the entire Philadelphia region and the Delaware Valley from 10 a.m. Sunday to 6 a.m. Tuesday. Temperatures will likely range between 98 and 102 degrees during this time.

A heat warning will be issued for the region on Tuesday morning and will last until Wednesday evening. During this time, temperatures could reach 40 to 41 degrees Celsius.

Another, but shorter, heatwave

The next heat wave is unlikely to last quite as long, as another cold front on Wednesday is expected to be followed by another brief cooling spell on Thursday.

We expect some isolated strong to severe storms along the cold front on Wednesday, which will help keep it cooler here through the end of the week and over the weekend.

Stay with the Next Weather Alert team for the latest heat and storm information.

7-day forecast

Sunday: Peak 94, feels like 102

Monday: High 97 °F, Low 75 °F, NEXT Weather Alert

Tuesday: High 99, Low 75, NEXT Weather Alert

Wednesday: High 96, Low 80, NEXT Weather Alert

Thursday: Maximum temperature 30 °C, minimum temperature 22 °C, showers and some thunderstorms

Friday: High 86, low 69, partly cloudy

Saturday: High 86, low 68, partly cloudy