Heat Indices Expected to Approach 110° F Across Southwestern Connecticut Late This Week

Heat indices are expected to approach 110° F across southwestern Connecticut late this week. Here are the projected heat index values for Wednesday through Saturday.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) June 29, 2026 at 1:38 PM

Paul

Extreme Heat Watch Issued for Southwestern Connecticut Wednesday Through Friday

An Extreme Heat Watch will be in effect for southwestern Connecticut from Wednesday at 12 p.m. until Friday at 9 p.m. EDT.

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— Paul Piorek WICC (@paulpiorekwicc.bsky.social) June 28, 2026 at 3:07 PM

Paul

June's Full Strawberry Moon Happens Next Monday, June 29, 2026

June's Full Strawberry Moon happens next Monday, June 29, at 7:56 p.m. EDT. The name was universal to every Algonquin tribe. However, in Europe they called it the Rose Moon. The relatively short season for harvesting strawberries comes each year during the month of June, so the Full Moon that occurs during this month was christened for the strawberry!

                            
The June Full Moon is also called a Honey Moon in the Northern Hemisphere, possibly because it never gets very high in the sky. When we gaze toward the Full Moon in June, we are seeing it through more of the Earth’s atmosphere than when the Moon is overhead. The atmosphere reddens its color.

The Full Moon is especially low in the Northern Hemisphere because it occurs a few days after the Summer Solstice. The Full Moon is opposite the Sun in the sky. Therefore, when the Sun is higher in the Summer sky, the Full Moon is lower. Every Full Moon stands more or less opposite the Sun in our sky. That’s why the Moon looks full.

The Moon will rise around sunset, climb to its highest point around midnight, and set close to sunrise. As seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, the Moon – like the December Solstice Sun – will rise far South of due East and set far South of due West.

North of the Arctic Circle, the Full Moon – like the Winter Sun – will be too far South to climb above the horizon. Meanwhile, in the Southern Hemisphere – where it’s Winter now – the Full Moon will mimic the Summer Sun, arcing high in the heavens. South of the Antarctic Circle, the Moon will simulate the midnight Sun – up all hours around the clock.

Paul

Violent Thunderstorm and Tornado Ripped Through Bridgeport 16 Years Ago Today

It only took a matter of minutes, but a violent thunderstorm spawned a tornado which ripped through Bridgeport 16 years ago today, Thursday, June 24, 2010, resulting in much damage, destruction, and a loss of electricity for thousands. A powerful cold front collided with a hot and humid air mass to set the stage for a Tornado Warning and a strong thunderstorm cell between 2 and 3 o'clock that afternoon.

The temperature soared to 90 degrees for the second day in a row at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford that day, but the dew point --- or moisture content in the atmosphere --- was extremely high. As the front approached, the sky darkened, the heavens opened up, and vivid lightning along with hurricane-force wind gusts ripped through the Park City. 

There was dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning and a wind gust of 78 miles-an-hour in Bridgeport. The average wind speed during the height of the storm was 43 miles-an-hour. Nearly a half-inch of rain fell in a short period of time, resulting in some minor flooding of low-lying areas. But, it was the wind damage which caused a state of emergency to be declared in Bridgeport. 

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and former Governor Jodi Rell arrived on the scene to survey the damage from the storm. "It looks like Godzilla went through and ripped roofs off and threw cars around and tore wires down," Finch said as he spoke with reporters and residents who had gathered in the streets. "I mean, it's really amazing," he added.

Personally, my family and I ran to the basement that afternoon once we heard a Tornado Warning was issued and the skies darkened. In a matter of minutes, the wind began to howl and heavy rain fell. My sons were worried that a tornado would rip apart our home. Not unexpectedly, the power went out, but the storm exited shortly thereafter. We didn't get our electricity back until just before midnight. 

Paul

"Severe Drought" Plagues Extreme Southwestern Connecticut

The United States Drought Monitor Index, which is released each week, places extreme southwestern Connecticut in a "severe drought," as of Thursday, June 18, 2026.

The Bridgeport climate station has recorded 1.01" of precipitation this month through June 19, which is well below the 2.59" normal through the same period based on 30 years of climatology. As a result, the region is more than one-and-a-half inches (-1.58") below normal for June. 

The yearly precipitation total of 15.28" since January 1 is close to one-half foot (-5.44") below normal (20.72") through the period. Four of the first five months this year featured below-normal precipitation, including January (-0.77"), February (-0.25"), April (-2.42"), and May (-0.98").

The Bridgeport climate station recorded measured precipitation only four days this month, including the 0.65" in less than one hour during the thunderstorm of June 11th. The other dates include June 6 (0.10"), June 14 (0.08"), and June 15 (0.18").

Fortunately, there is rain in the forecast. In fact, more than one-and-a-half inches of precipitation are expected across southwestern Connecticut through Tuesday at 8 a.m. EDT.

A rain dance wouldn't hurt, however.

Paul

Unforgettable Flooding Rains Pounded Southwestern Connecticut 52 Years Ago This Week

Many longtime residents of southwestern Connecticut remember the incredible flooding downpours 52 years ago this week. A three-day deluge the week of June 17 brought nearly 10 inches of rain to the region, flooded residents out of their homes, forced postponement of school graduation ceremonies, and caused widespread damage.

Personally, I’ll never forget those three days since our basement was flooded beyond belief. I actually thought our house was going to float away. The washing machine was floating. Firefighters, neighbors, and relatives helped my family furiously pump water out of the basement in what can only be called a losing battle.

I distinctly remember riding with my father to pick up another sump pump at a friend’s house in the middle of the night while our next-door neighbors helped out downstairs.

How much rain fell during the three day period? Too much. The monsoon began June 17, 1972, with nearly two-and-a-half inches (2.37″) of rain. The next day, June 18, brought nearly an inch (0.98″). But the deadliest blow happened the next day — June 19 — when more than a half-foot (6.18″) of rain buried the region. That one day total is nearly the average rainfall for two full months!

Cumulatively, 9.53″ of rain fell at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Stratford. According to the National Weather Service, it marked “the heaviest flooding damage since the Fall of 1955.”

According to the front-page article in June 19, 1972 edition of The Bridgeport Post, “A civil defense warning was issued today at 9:10 a.m. concerning flooding in the Southern Connecticut area. The report, which came over the air from the city’s Emergency Reporting Service, stated that the rain would continue through most of the day, and that flash floods were expected to occur.”

The following day, the newspaper reported that “Many residents who had never experienced water accumulations before, were still busy pumping out and drying up cellars. Fire departments throughout the area were besieged by requests from residents seeking pumping assistance.” One storm-related death was reported when a gentleman was electrocuted as he waded through two-feet of water in his basement of his home. The victim came into contact with live wiring as he was repairing the furnace.

Fire authorities had warned that flooded basements posed hazards as water threatened to “short out” furnace motors. Civil defense officials in the state estimated that a damage toll reaching as high as $1 million was expected. The American Red Cross established emergency shelters at its headquarters in Fairfield and Darien. Adding insult to injury was the threat of even more rain from Tropical Storm Agnes through Wednesday, June 21.

What do I most remember about that memorable three-day deluge? The Fairfield Woods Junior High School ceremony, which was originally scheduled for June 21 at Andrew Warde High School, was pushed back one day. We were extremely disappointed, since we couldn't wait to walk into our new high school as soon-to-be-freshmen at Warde.

I also remember my cousin, Pat, a Vietnam veteran, blew out his knee while attempting to start a generator in our backyard. I can vividly remember him being wheeled into the back of the ambulance in a driving rainstorm while neighbors watched in disbelief from our backyard. He eventually married my next-door-neighbor, Ruth Ann, who stopped by with a home-cooked meal and met Pat.

The total rainfall for the entire month of June in 1972 was nearly a foot-and-a-half (17.7″). To put it in perspective, that's nearly a half-year's worth of rain.

Paul