Storms, 100-Degree Heat Before NJ Cooldown: Forecasters

NEW JERSEY - Does 80-degree weather sound enticing? You’ll have to push through temperatures in the 100s on Tuesday first, forecasters said.

19 New Jersey counties are currently under a heat advisory through 8 p.m. Tuesday as temperatures up to 96 degrees and heat indices ("feels-like" temperatures) can soar up to 104 degrees, the National Weather Service said. The affected counties are:

• Sussex
• Warren
• Morris
• Hunterdon
• Somerset
• Middlesex
• Monmouth
• Mercer
• Salem
• Gloucester
• Camden
• Burlington
• Ocean
• Cumberland
• Essex
• Passaic
• Hudson
• Bergen
• Union

“Hot temperatures and high humidity levels will increase the threat of heat related health issues,” the National Weather Service said. “A cold front is expected to arrive tonight, bringing an end to the long stretch of excessively hot humid weather.”

Tuesday should see the last of August’s brutal heat wave, the National Weather Service added, with temperatures on Wednesday expected to drop below 90 degrees. Thursday and Friday will follow suit with highs of 86 and 83 degrees, respectively.

The cooler temperatures will also usher a wave of showers and possible thunderstorms, starting Tuesday night before 3 a.m. Wednesday is expected to see storms after 2 p.m. into the evening, set to pick back up Thursday until the afternoon, the National Weather Service said.

Skies should clear up by Thursday evening, which will see cool evening temperatures hovering around the 65-degree mark, forecasters said.

Here's the latest forecast, per the National Weather Service:

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 96. Heat index values as high as 102. West wind around 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3 a.m., then a slight chance of showers between 3 and 5 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 74. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. North wind around 5 mph. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Calm wind. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8 a.m., then a chance of showers between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Calm wind. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 65.