Record highs were broken in parts of the region on Thursday as temperatures soared to 90 degrees as part of a brief, yet unmistakable spring heat wave throughout the eastern part of the country.

Areas such as Lehighton and Jim Thorpe were among those locally that set records on Thursday, according to Tom Kines, a senior meteorologist with AccuWeather, who said such warm temperatures at the halfway point of April are “extremely rare.”

“Usually in May, we can at least dream of hitting 90 degrees,” Kines said. “Typically in April, even dreaming it, it doesn’t happen; certainly more typical in May, certainly in June.”

Kines noted that when areas get “these unusually warm periods in May, you could typically hit 90.”

He attributed the extreme, unseasonable temperatures to the jet stream riding pretty far north.

“It was unusually warm down south to begin with,” Kines said. “When that air pushed north, obviously it was unusually warm for us as well.”

But, those hopeful that the warm summerlike temperatures are here to stay are likely to be in for a bit of a disappointed, Kines cautioned.

“Don’t get used to it,” he said. “It is going to turn.”

That turn figures to occur as soon as a few days from now, Kines said.

“Right now this time of year, we should up probably close to 60 for a high,” he said, adding that before long, we’re expected to have a day where the high reaches only into the upper 40s. “A lot of people are going to be unhappy.”

Just because it feels like summer doesn’t mean people should get too carried away with the activities they partake in, Kines said.

“One good thing is it’s not humid out there, so we do have that going for us,” he said. “When it gets hot like this, people like to jump into streams and creeks; you got to remember the water is still ice cold.”

Which is why Kines stressed to take things in stride.

“Just use common sense; don’t overdo it,” he said. “We’re not used to it yet, don’t overexert yourself; if you have to work outside, drink plenty of fluids. If you burn easily, you need to cover it, wear a hat.”

Kines said today’s high is expected to reach well into the 70s, still much warmer than usual this time of year.

He said a front will be coming through over the weekend, where we will start to see some clouds with that front on Saturday.

Saturday night into Sunday, we’re likely to see some showers, said Kines, who added once that front arrives sometime Sunday morning, it will turn noticeably cooler, with highs Sunday only in the 50s.

He said Monday is expected to be a chilly day, where temperatures might not get out of the 40s for a high, before things pick back up a bit on Tuesday and Wednesday with highs back up into the 60s.

“Closer to where it should be this time of year,” he said. “Monday is going to be 40 degrees cooler than (yesterday).”