Temperatures across New Jersey topped 90 degrees on Friday, the second day in a wave of hot weather that is expected to officially become a heat wave on Saturday. The temperatures are normal for this time of year, but they’ve come as a something of a shock in what had so far been a mild summer. The blast of heat is just a taste of what other parts of the nation and world have been experiencing, and a glimpse of what is projected to become increasingly normal as the climate changes.
New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson said you can blame the miserable conditions on heat drifting up from the southwest, stubborn humidity and climate change.
“We’ve had so much rainfall, so much humidity, and that prevents the daytime heat from escaping readily into space at night. The air is warmer. The ocean temperatures are warmer. As a result of that, they put more moisture into the atmosphere or the atmosphere can potentially retain more moisture,” Robinson said.
