No relief for North Jersey on Tuesday from heat wave

North Jersey is in the midst of another heat wave and there is no relief in sight in the coming days.

After temperatures hit the mid-90s to start the week, Tuesday's forecast calls for even higher temps. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the region until Wednesday evening. The heat index will make parts of North Jersey feels like it's over 100 degrees, according to the NWS forecast.

"Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses," the NWS warns.

This heat wave also brings with it the chance of isolated thunderstorms in North Jersey on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Until 11 p.m. Tuesday, the state Department of Environmental Protection has issued a "code orange air quality alert" for the north central parts of the state, including Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex and Union counties. The NJ DEP warns that "air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive group," including children, people with asthma, heart disease and the elderly."

North Jerseyans are hardly alone in this heat wave as it has affected much of the western U.S. and parts of the South, Southeast, mid-Atlantic and southern New England over the last week. In the West, dozens of records were set and there have been at least 30 fatalities caused by the weather.

"A broad heat wave from the Plains to the East Coast will continue over the next couple of days, becoming particularly intense for many of the urban centers in the Southeast, Ohio Valley and along the East Coast," the National Weather Service said.

On Monday, more than 150 million Americans were under some type of heat alert, according to Heat.gov.

The first break North Jersey will see from the scorching heat will be Thursday when temperatures should drop into the 80s. Similar temperatures are expected Friday.

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Monday's high temperatures

Bob J. Ziff of the North Jersey Weather Observers reported the following high temperatures for Monday from around New Jersey:

• Paterson - 96
• Haworth - 96
• New Brunswick - 96
• Bergenfield - 95
• Sparta - 95
• Layton - 95
• North Haledon - 94
• Sussex - 94
• Ramsey - 92
• Lyndhurst - 91
• Vernon - 90
• Wantage - 90
• High Point - 89
• Beach Haven - 79

USA Today contributed to this article.