Heat advisory in effect until 6 p.m.; weekend storms possible

A streak of oppressive late-summer weather is expected to continue Friday, not as hot as earlier in the week, but, the National Weather Service suggests, maybe even more humid — with temperatures in the mid-80s and humidity levels approaching 100%.

As a result, a heat advisory in place for days now will remain in effect Friday until 6 p.m., the weather service warning those vulnerable due to chronic health conditions that despite lower temperatures the heat index means it will still feel like it's somewhere between 95 and 100 degrees outside.

That advisory covers much of the tristate area, including New York City and Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Forecasters were calling for a high of 85 degrees on Long Island with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. They predicted a wet, wild weekend of weather, possibly starting Friday night, and a chance of thunderstorms likely on and off through the weekend.

More severe weather is expected northwest of New York City Friday, with large hail a possibility, as well.

Also this weekend, it is likely that Hurricane Lee will be churning up waters off of the East Coast and possibly Long Island. Lee, which was a category 5 storm but slowed down to become a category 4 storm by Friday, is considered extremely dangerous but its current path is unclear, meteorologists said. It is now moving north by the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, the National Hurricane Center said.

The center, in a message on its website, said: "It is way too soon to know what level of impacts, if any, Lee might have along the U.S. East Coast, particularly since the hurricane is expected to slow down considerably over the southwest Atlantic. Regardless, dangerous surf and rip currents are expected along most of the U.S. East Coast beginning Sunday." 

A high of 92 degrees was recorded at Islip on Thursday, tying a record for the date first set in 1998, according to the weather service. That marked the fourth consecutive day this week that temperatures of at least 90 degrees were recorded in Islip, continuing a late-summer streak weather service forecasters called unusual.

Before this week, a total of just 17 90-degree days had been recorded in Islip since records first began being kept in 1963, the weather service said.

The extended heat wave led to the cancellation of many outdoor school sports and practices this week in Nassau and Suffolk, leading to some game postponements, as well, though the lowering heat index allowed for some sports and outdoor scholastic activities to resume Thursday evening, officials said.

As long as the heat advisory remains in effect the weather service was advising seniors and those with chronic health problems or mental health conditions to remain indoors in a location that has air conditioning. And, it was advising family, friends and neighbors to check on vulnerable and at-risk residents.

The weather service offered this advice if you must be outdoors while the advisory remains in place: "To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency!

"In cases of heat stroke call 911."

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”