Hot and humid conditions are expected in Connecticut on Wednesday, with temperatures expected to exceed 95 degrees in parts of the state, and isolated severe thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service.
But the weather service has lowered the risk of severe weather for all of Connecticut compared to previous forecasts. On Monday afternoon, the agency upgraded the southwestern areas of Fairfield County from “slight” to the severe weather risk category of “marginal,” up from “low.” Previously, the weather service had classified large parts of southern Connecticut in the “low” risk category and the rest of the state in the “marginal” category.
Severe thunderstorms could still produce “destructive wind gusts of up to 60 mph” and large hailstones 1 inch or more in diameter, the weather service said.
“Although the risk of severe weather has decreased for Wednesday, the possibility of isolated destructive gusts of wind remains,” the weather service said.
“Otherwise, a hot and humid day is expected,” the agency added.
Heat index values, which indicate temperature while taking humidity into account, are expected to reach 94 degrees in Bridgeport, New Haven and East Haddam. In Hartford, the heat index is expected to reach 92 degrees.
The weather service has issued heat advisories for the New York City metropolitan area, including parts of New York bordering Connecticut, as well as parts of Long Island and northeastern New Jersey. However, no heat advisories have been issued for Connecticut.
“Hot and humid weather is expected in the Mid-Hudson Valley and northwestern Connecticut this afternoon, but heat indices are likely to remain below danger thresholds,” the weather service said in a hazardous weather forecast for Litchfield County.
Otherwise, Wednesday should be mostly to partly sunny, with highs between 27 and 32 degrees. The morning began with lows between 18 and 21 degrees, with alternating clear and partly cloudy skies.
After today, temperatures will cool down for the rest of the working week. Highs of around 24 degrees are expected on both Thursday and Friday, the weather service said. On Thursday, the sky will be mostly sunny, then sunny again on Friday.
Additional thunderstorms are possible again on Saturday afternoon and evening, the weather service said.
