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Extreme fire danger in Philadelphia region Friday as drought worsens; when rain could return

By Bill Kelly, Kate Bilo

/ CBS Philadelphia

Dry air, breezy conditions and plenty of dry plant life like dead leaves and pine needles are all contributing to high fire danger across the Philadelphia region today. We have issued a NEXT Weather Alert from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. because of this fire danger. The region is under a red flag warning because of fire risk as well.

The newest Drought Monitor for the country was released Thursday, and much of Atlantic and Burlington counties have now been placed at extreme drought levels, with the vast majority of the region still in a severe drought. This appears to be the worst drought in our area in over 20 years. Today will be Day 41 without rain.

The last time New Jersey had 20% or more of the state under extreme drought was in 2002. 

A weather map showing that the Philly area is under severe or extreme drought
CBS News Philadelphia

Conditions have already been fueling wildfires in our area, and the conditions today look favorable for rapid fire spread. A secondary cold front will kick up gusty winds up to 20-30 mph in the afternoon, and much drier air at the surface will lead to lower relative humidity levels.

Burn bans are in effect in multiple parts of our region. Any spark from malfunctioning lawn equipment, a catalytic converter, a smoldering discarded cigarette butt could spark a fire that could grow out of control.

Temperatures today will still be above average in the low 70s, but a reinforcing shot of chilly air will drop the temperature on Saturday back to the average high of 59, which will feel chilly in light of the warmth we've had.

Fire danger is still present Saturday but not as great.

A weather graphic showing that the temperatures will range from 48 to 68 degrees on Friday under sunny skies
CBS News Philadelphia

Sunday brings our first decent chance for measurable rain in over 40 days. Clouds will increase as a new system approaches from the west, and showers are possible late Sunday into early Monday. While it doesn't look like a soaking rain, widespread showers could bring as much as 0.25 to 0.5 inches to the area, and every little bit helps.

We are also watching the tropics as Rafael moves through the Gulf of Mexico. The hurricane will continue to weaken and may dissipate in the Gulf without making another landfall. We will keep you posted.

Here's your 7-day forecast:

z-7-day-pm.png
CBS News Philadelphia

Friday: Sunny, cooler. High of 71.

Saturday: Crisp, sunny. High of 59, low of 44. 

Sunday: Showers likely. High of 60, low of 37. 

Monday: Sun returns. High of 70, low of 56. 

Tuesday: Mostly sunny. High of 61, low of 49.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny. High of 57, low of 39.

Thursday: Shower chance. High of 59, low of 45.

NEXT Weather Radars

Hourly Forecast

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