Your love is like a heat wave!
False.
Unless Martha and the Vandellas are lamenting a suffocating, nauseating boyfriend in whose presence one can develop dementia, cramping, or heat stroke, the 1963 hit song “(Love is Like a) Heat Wave” is grievously inaccurate.
Here in the Northeast, a “heat wave” is typically defined as a period of three or more consecutive days on which the temperature (or, alternatively, the heat index) reaches 90 degrees or above. Get ready for TV news interviews with people who work outside ("How are you dealing with this heat?" "Drinkin' plenty of water, I guess."), tips from the CDC on how to deal with the heat ("Drink plenty of water") and ominous dark orange and red blotches on weather maps, Excessive Heat Warnings, and all the rest.
In all seriousness, though, extreme heat kills more people in this country each year than any other weather event--more than hurricanes, more than tornadoes, more than floods. So be sensible: check on the elderly, don't leave pets in cars, stay hydrated, shit like that.
By any measure, but certainly by the definition cited above, this week will bring a heat wave.
Sunday 7/14 will see a high of 91 with moderate humidity, pushing heat index readings into the upper 90s.
Monday 7/15 is when the heat wave starts cranking. The high will reach 94 with elevated humidity, pushing heat indices into the 101 range. Look for isolated thunderstorms late Monday afternoon into the evening.
Tuesday 7/16 will be hot and humid with hazy skies. Highs will again be 94, with heat indices around 102.
Wednesday 7/17 will be worse, so if at all possible, don’t schedule any extended outdoor activities today. High 96, heat index 104.
Thursday 7/18 will be just as nasty as Wednesday, so again, stay indoors as much as possible. High 97, heat index 104.
Friday 7/19, hot and humid. Afternoon storms possible. Stop me if you’ve heard this before. High 94, heat index 101.
Saturday 7/20, a weak cold front comes through and produces some afternoon storms. Whoop-de-frickin-do. High 90.
Sunday 7/21, mostly sunny and a bit less oppressive, but kind of humid. High 86.
Next week looks stormy, overcast, and humid with highs generally in the mid 80s.
Stay cool!