Hot, summerlike weather Sunday with temps in the 90s, heat wave possible in Philadelphia this week
Today is the start of the first heat wave of 2026 and it will feel more like August than May. A heat wave in the Philadelphia area is categorized by three or more consecutive days in the 90s, and by the looks of it, highs will reach the 90s every day through Wednesday.
Dress comfortably, stay hydrated and special care for pets.
NEXT big weather change
It will be hot to very hot through Wednesday. Each day we will be chasing new record highs in the low to mid-90s. Overnight lows will also be quite warm in the upper 60s and low 70s.
With all this heat an isolated shower or storm is possible each afternoon and evening. You may not need an umbrella until late in the day Wednesday as a cold front moves through with scattered, gusty thunderstorms.
Temperatures will plummet nearly 30 degrees behind Wednesday's cold front, which means temperatures Thursday through Memorial Day will be in the mid-60s to low 70s with the chance of passing showers each day.
So, while we feel like summer now, plan on cooler and possibly wetter holiday weekend.
Weather forecast for PGA Championship
Let's get to the PGA Championship — greens will be drying out significantly by the weekend, so expect those putts to be rolling extremely fast.
If you have any plans, whether to go to Aronimink Golf Club or just host a watching event at home, the weather will be great for either. Maybe even a bit on the hot side, but we're not expecting rain, storms or any significant wind.
Much of Philadelphia region in severe drought
We need rain. The weekly drought monitor was released Thursday, and we now have over 60% of our area in severe drought. That's a 3 of 5 on the drought index.
The bad news is that we do not anticipate any impactful rain events over the next three to four days, but the good news is that the temps will be ramping up, which is great if you're ready for more summer-like conditions.
Here's the 7-day forecast:
Sunday: Most sunny. High 92.
Monday: Chasing record heat. High 94, low 66.
Tuesday: Chasing records. High 97, low 71.
Wednesday: PM storms. High 96, low 73.
Thursday: Much cooler. High 69, low 60.
Friday: Showers. High 67, low 55.
Saturday: Showers. High 68, low 54.
