Warm nights were a “big factor” in the impact of the heat waves that hit the Philadelphia region this July, Johnson said.
“We were not getting below 70 degrees — in some cases … we weren’t getting below 80 degrees at night,” she said. “Our bodies are really relying on a chance to recover during the overnight hours before facing additional heat during the next day.”
Johnson said even though meteorological summer ended Aug. 31, residents of the Philadelphia region should be prepared to take precautions if temperatures rise again.
“Even though the peak of the summer has passed, we could still have impacts with extreme heat,” she said.