Hot Temps Followed by Strong Storms

It doesn't take a meteorologist to tell you that it is hot outside. Still, Bob Coblentz, a meteorologist at the in Moon, confirmed it, saying temperatures hit a record high Friday.

The highest temperature the National Weather Service has on record for this date in the region is 96 degrees, reached in 1901 and 1933, said Colentz. 

Coblentz also pointed out that the dew point was 72, which is extremely high. The dew point, he said, measures the moisture in the air.

"Anytime you get a dew point in the 70s, it feels pretty oppressive outside," he said. 

It's always important to pay attention to the dew point, rather than the relative humidity, because it's a better indicator of how the temperature feels, he said.

Another helpful number to look for while checking the weather is the heat index, or the "feels like" temperature. 

"This means that in the sun, it could feel like 115 or 120 degrees," he said.

For those with hopes of cooling off, Coblentz predicts that temperatures will drop slightly by Sunday and will "feel a lot better" by Monday, even though it will still be in the mid-80s. 

"What would normally feel really hot will now feel good," he said. 

Area residents got a temporary reprieve Friday night and Saturday morning when strong thunderstorms rolled through the region. Those storms cooled things down a bit, but also knocked out power for more than 800 homes serviced by Duquesne Light in the east suburbs.

Duquesne Light spokesman Joseph Vallarian said 500 were still without power by noon Saturday, although all customers would have service back by the end of the day.