Community Corner

Excessive Heat Watch: The Heat Is On This Last Week Of School

Heat wave coincides with high school graduation ceremony.

Turn on the air conditioning—or at least a few fans! A wave of intense heat is heading into Montclair this week just in time for the summer solstice, which occurs Wednesday, June 20 at 7:09 p.m.

Both Wednesday—as well as the first full day of summer on Thursday—happen to coincide with National Weather Service warnings of an "excessive" heat watch.

The heat watch also coincides with early dismissal days Wednesday and Thursday at Livingston's public schools, not to mention Livingston High School's graduation ceremony on June 21.

Find out what's happening in Livingstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The summer solstice is the point in time when the Earth's axis is most inclined toward the sun, bringing about the longest day of the year for the Northern Hemisphere, and the official start of summer. 

Although the weather is still supposed to be fairly comfortable today and tomorrow, temperatures are supposed to hit 96 by the day of the summer solstice—Wednesday—with the heat index making it feel more than 100 or even 105 degrees. An excessive heat watch is in effect from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday evening.

Find out what's happening in Livingstonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

On Thursday, it will be hot, hazy, and humid with highs topping 98 and the heat index once again reaching 105 degrees. This is expected to be the most intense day of the week, heat-wise.

With such a hot stretch of weather expected, Montclair residents are already thinking up ways to stay cool.

"My kids are long out of school, but back when they were young and a heat wave rolled around, I didn't make them go to school ... I let them stay home (end-of-year half days = no big deal in the long run) and they could swim or just hang out in the AC," said Meg Beattie Patrick, host and executive producer of ARTS UP CLOSE on TV34-Montclair.

The weather will still be hot on Friday, with temperatures hovering in the low 90s, but the atmosphere won't be as oppressive as it will be on Wednesday and Thursday, and there will be a chance of an afternoon thunderstorm.

So how will you beat the heat this week? Let us know in the comments section below.


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