The intense and unusually early heat wave that has blanketed much of the Northeast for the past week continued on Sunday to scorch New Jersey, where excessive heat warnings or heat advisories were in effect in most of the state, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures throughout the region were more than 10 degrees above average on Sunday, according to Joe DeSilva, a meteorologist with the Weather Service. Trenton, the state capital, reached 98 degrees — just two degrees shy of the city’s hottest recorded temperature, last logged in 1952, he said. The worst of the sweltering heat should be over by Sunday evening, Mr. DeSilva said, though temperatures were expected to remain in the 80s in the coming week. Pet owners should also monitor their animals for signs of overheating, such as excessive panting, drooling and lethargy, officials said.

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Persons: Joe DeSilva, DeSilva Organizations: National Weather Service, Weather Service, Sunday Locations: scorch New Jersey, Trenton