Extreme weather? New Jersey has seen it all, from triple-digit temperatures to teeth-rattling wind chills. Watch video
You don't have to be stuck in a desert in Arizona to swelter in 110-degree heat.
It can get that hot here in New Jersey, and that's exactly what happened in the summer of 1936, when the Garden State had its highest temperature reading ever recorded. On July 10 that year, the thermometer at a climate station in the Runyon section of Old Bridge soared to 110 degrees, a record that still stands today, said New Jersey State Climatologist David Robinson at Rutgers University.
The closest scorcher since then was a 108-degree temperature reading at Newark International Airport on July 22, 2011, when New Jersey was suffering through a brutal summer heat wave.
And, in case you're wondering, that was the actual air temperature -- not the "real-feel" heat index. Same with the 110-degree reading in Runyon, Robinson said.
Through the past 121 years, when reliable data started being documented, New Jersey has had its fair share of extreme weather, from torrential rain storms to nasty blizzards.
The most recent record set was Wednesday: the hottest ocean temperature ever recorded, 83.3 degrees, off the coast of Atlantic City, as the first heat wave of August was getting under way.
Some of the state's most notable meteorological records can be found in the photo gallery above.
The heat wave is expected to continue this weekend, with temperatures climbing into the mid-90s. Forecasters say the heat index -- how hot it feels when you combine the air temperature with the humidity -- could get as high as 105 to 110 degrees.
Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.