Hot, Hot, Hot! Temperatures Today Reach Record High in Pittsburgh

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

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. 

"Today, temperatures will either meet or exceed the record," he said.

Coblentz also pointed out that the dew point today is 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.

"Today, the relative humidity is between 50 and 55 percent, but it doesn't feel like that at all, so you can see that this number doesn't translate to what it feels like outside," Coblentz added.

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

The heat index today is 105, "and that's in the shade," said Coblentz.

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

For those with hopes of cooling off, Colentz 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.