canal in delaware. but the big story is the start of the memorial day weekend. welcome to 2016. even though it was breezy and cool at the shore. folks could not resist putting on their bathing suits for a day at the beach. this was ocean city which will likely see the clouds build through the weekend. traffic pretty heavy southbound on i-95 this afternoon in delaware. 38 million americans are taking to the roads for the halladay with the price of gas 17% lower than it was a year ago. of course what everybody wantses to know about is the accuweather forecast. lets go to cecily tynan with that. >> reporter: we are starting off the holiday weekend with the first heat wave of the year, take a look. two days in a row of 90 degree weather, yesterday 90 and today hit 90 and tomorrow will probably be the peak of the heat

at 92. the normal high is 77 degrees, it's not going to stay hot and sunny for the entire holiday weekend. i'm tracking big changes from this, right now philadelphia it's 89 degrees and the same in reading and allentown 86 and trenton 87 and cape may point with the wind off the ocean and the ocean temperature is chilly and 60 and the ocean temperature in cape may 69. stormtracker 6 live double scan showing we have a weak disturbance to the west. could trigger an isolated thunderstorm most likely over the poconos tonight and most areas are dry and saturday the pick of the weekend it is going to be sunny at the shore and hot and humid in philadelphia and poconos warm and humid and 83 degrees with an afternoon pop-up thunderstorm. the best day of the holiday weekend will be tomorrow. it will be hot inland. there are changes due to tropical moisture streaming in from the south.

we start the day with sun and increasing clouds and i would not be surprised as early as late sunday afternoon, that is number two and monday memorial day unfortunate for the parades looking for to tropical downpours and specifically the shore. coming up in the full accuweather forecast. >> thank you cecily. lets go live now to atlantic city and "action news" reporter, jeff jericho, first day of the long holiday weekend. >> reporter: that is right jim it's like mother nature flipped a switch and now it's summer. look mind me a site we are waiting for a long time. a number of folks on the beach enjoying the sun and temperatures in the low 70s and some rides on the boardwalk are starting to get underway, this is memorial day weekend 2016. a time for many to get out and escape the dreary spring that we have been putting up with.

that is what folks here in atlantic city are telling me, they wantsed to get out and take advantage of the first day of summer because they are sick and tired of all the dreary weekends we are dealing with through the spring months. just a few moments ago there was a beach ball drop in front of resorts casino. some 5,000 beach balls were dropped on the boardwalk, and guests and vacationers scrambled to grab the beach ball, and as you know atlantic city is facing financial troubles and officials hope that this is a turn around and the beautiful weather here on this beautiful weekend brings people to atlantic city, and helps them rediscover atlantic city and take advantage of all the family friendly events in a.c. this is no longer a gambling town but a beach town with gambling, including a block party at tropicana, all weekend

long events happening here in atlantic city. if you have an opportunity come on down and check it out. a beautiful weekend. jeff jericho, channel 6 "action news." >> thank you. the memorial day weekend festivities kick of this morning with a traditional unlocking of the ocean. here in wildwood tourism officials used a giant key to help usher in the summer season. now, lets take a look at traffic going to the jersey shore, as you can see we have plenty of it. let me describe to you exactly where we are. this is traffic coming off the walt whitman bridge, which is 76 and merging with traffic on 676 coming from the ben franklin bridge. this is where it gets together, it will eventually go on to route 42 and then the atlantic city expressway and the white horse pike. as you can see plenty of traffic moving slowly right now headed

to the jersey shore. we want to you keep 6abc.com handy this holiday weekend on all of your devices, just check our interactive traffic map as you are heading out rely on stormtracker 6 live double scan radar and follow the "action news" weather team on facebook and twitter for any updates on changes all weekend long. other news at this hour, verizon employees that went on strike could soon be back to work as soon as next week in fact. the company and its unions reached a deal on a new contract today. striking workers at verizon's workers in chinatown. walked off the picket line this afternoon. after a seven week strike, details of the deal have not been released. a cwa representative tells "action news," all local call centers will remain open, and pension and wage issues have been resolved.

it's a dangerous season delicate rescue mission in delaware county today after a man working on a tree was shocked by live wires, chopper 6 hd was over the scene after 1:00 p.m. in the 1,000 block of burlington avenue, we can see the rescue workers try to untangle the man from the safety harness and the man was in and out of consciousness and the harness was the only thing keeping him from falling to the ground. >> once he when unconscious he no longer had power to do anything and was upside down in the tree actually. >> the man is now in stable condition. philadelphia police are desperately trying to track down a hit and run driver, when they find him he'll face some very serious charges. the person that he or she hit has died.

vernon odom is live at police headquarters tonight, vernon you have the details. >> reporter: the 57-year-old victim died around 3:00 this morning. some five hours after the crime. police say when he was hit he was knocked airborne for 20 feet. >> the death overnight of elijah leon a paster in the community has devastated all that new him. it happened around 10:00 last night in the 2100 block of north front street. he just dropped off a group of recovering drug addicts from his church at their residences. >> he was a server whatever you asked him to do he was there. a good guy. every day he came and prayed with us.

we are sad. god knows everything and knows what happened. >> leon's family along with police are calling on the driver to turn himself in. >> he was a good man, now you need to step up and face what you did. >> police released a tripses description of the model. saab, with front fender damage and flat front passenger tire and scuffed side mirror and damage to the front windshield. it happened as leon was getting into his vehicle to drive home. >> if someone is looking to fix the vehicle or get parts for the vehicle. anything that we can bring this person in that is responsible for this death. >> police have some physical evidence from the car they are seeking tonight but they need the public's help to nail the

person that left reverend leon in the street to die. live in center city, i'm vernon odom. channel 6 "action news." >> vernon thank you. the memorial day weekend got off to a rough start for the owner of this boat. which slammed into the rock this afternoon at the cnd canal in bear, delaware, the 53 foot vessel then began to sink. everybody got safely on to land. new jersey governor, chris christie, sign aid package of bills to keep atlantic city from running out of cash, but gave atlantic city officials a deadline to get their act together. to give them a secure bridge loan but requires officials to come up with a recovery plan by october 24th, including proposals to cut spending and repay debts and fund the school district. coming up on "action news" a

new display created by radnor high school students. honors the true meaning of memorial day. and the eagles are taking on a new pace under doug peterson. jeff skversky with that story. cecily tynan will be back with the accuweather forecast. the seven day when "action news" continues.

the memorial cemetery ever being the tradition honors the service of the brave men and women that served our country

and officials join with veterans and their families to place wreaths at the gravesites of those that died in combat. a lot of local schools do programs and projects to mark the holiday but none could be more poignant ornstructive than radnor high school. >> reporter: hours before dismissing for the holiday weekend radnor high school students paused and remembers those that gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. they went further than the typical ceremony, they created this wall of honor. >> i am proud of radnor veterans and those that search our country, i think it's really amazing. the 26 foot long memorial world will forever commemorate the radnor students that died

protecting our country. they raised $17,000 but the school's vision became a reality. >> many were shocked to find out they were researching radnor students that were 19 and 20 years old. >> it's a constant reminder of those that died serving our country. >> i want people to understand that these people were students at radnor like they were and they fought for them to have the life they have now. >> they say it's a project like no other in a small way to say thank you. >> the sacrifice they gave for america is just unbelievable. >> this is a living and growing memorial, it was last night that we learned another name was added making the number 58. the school says if you know of any radnor school student that died serving this country, their

name will be added to this wall of honor. gray hall, channel 6 "action news."

phillies going up against it's best team in chicago. >> they are in chicago and you want to be the best have you to beat these guys. miguel franco vowed to play despite spraining his ankle the other day and he was in the lineup. high fives he drives in two including a sac fly in the third. to tie it but the phils give it right back. the solo shot and then later david ross no doubt about it. three run shot and morgan allows six runs in just four innings, he gave up 15 runs in his last 13 and 2/3s.

phils down 9-2 in the ninth. general manager says they would consider possibly trading draft picks or players. they are shopping around their big men. noel and okafor. they are looking to see if there is interest in these two. the nba draft is june 23rd. faster, faster, faster that was the mentality under chip kelly, he promoted the need for speed in practice and games too. they adamanted they were down through the end of his three seasons and now they hope that peterson and bradford can correct that, he will be able to call audibles at the line of scrimmage too. the eagles new pace, they like it. >> the biggest things obviously coming out of the huddle can

longer play calls and assessing the situation and calling audibles and did not come with a fast hurry up offense, usual the speed and scheme is what they feel like will take care of most of the problems, when you are coming out slow you dissect what the defense is doing, they are ready for every single play, we have to run off of what they give us, it's different in that respect. rafael nadal's wing is slowing down and coming to a complete stop. thanks to an injured left wrist. the champ withdrawals from the tournament today. and right here on 6 abc, sunday at noon, coverage starts at 11:00 a.m. the college lacrosse final four is back in philadelphia. and the number one team in maryland is back in town with a ton of local players. including glen side player matt rambo one of eight guys on the

roster with local ties. and lots of local players with ties in the delaware valey all fighting for the national championship. so there is added pressure playing at home for the trophy? >> i don't think there is added pressure but more support with friends and family, it's still the same and exciting to be in philadelphia but another lacrosse game. >> it's a comfortable factor that comes with it. there is also added pressure because i am from here so people know the name. >> i am dreaming to two to the final four since i was a little kid and playing in philly i never thought about that, it's crazy. >> they will hoist the championship trophy at the link this weekend and perhaps the eagles could one day do the same. >> cecily tynan has the accuweather forecast. .

the all holiday forecast from cecily tynan. >> a heat wave and then wet on memorial day. if you look towards harrisburg, there are thunderstorms and a few could sneak in, in the far western suburbs and the poconos. elsewhere seeing a good amount of sunshine. we are live on sky 6 hd taking a look at the beach in cape may, the folks are out and about in the sunshine and strong winds right now out of the south in cape may. and the ocean temperature is 60 degrees and this has a huge

impact on the air temperature. it's that time of year, cape may point it's only 69 degrees and we are 20 degrees warmer in philadelphia. down from the high of 90. we are 89 and two days in a row of 90. and reading 89 and trenton 87 and wilmington currently 83 degrees. satellite 6 along with action radar showing a good amount of sunshine today and a few thin cirrus clouds bubbling up and the line of thunderstorms lining up in central pennsylvania. mainly tonight we are dry but warm and humid. 65 degrees in the cooler suburbs and 68 for center city. and feeling like the middle of summer. tomorrow likely will be the peak of the heat. calling for a high of 92, and even at 8:00 it's 74 degrees, we bump it up to 84 degrees by 11:00 and hitting 92 at 5:00 and making it heat wave number one and 8:00 down to 84 degrees, good amount of sunshine tomorrow, and saturday the pick of the weekend. down the shore a great place to

go, to escape the heat, mostly sunny, 75 degrees and then our forecast begins to go downhill on sunday. we start the day with sun and increasing clouds and a few showers in the afternoon and memorial day is not a great beach day, periods of rain at times and 68 degrees, if you head to the poconos 83 and we drop it down to 81 on sunday and monday showers and thunderstorms especially early in the day with a high of 74 degrees. the reason why i'm talking about tropical downpours we have a trop cat system brewing north of the bahamas and this will likely become tropical storm bonnie, a weak tropical storm by tomorrow hitting charleston, south carolina by sunday afternoon and the cold front pushes this low pressure back out to sea. we won't get a direct hit by a tropical system however the cold front will help pull up the tropical moisture really up

along it's i-95 corridor, we are looking at sunday night through monday more than an inch of rain and the hardest hit areas could get close to 2 inches of rain on memorial day. that is not the best news for any of the parades on memorial day or services unfortunately. the exclusive accuweather seven-day forecast we are in the sunshine tomorrow, it's the peak of the heat wave, 92 degrees and hot and humid. sunday we start with sun and increasing clouds and muggy and 89 degrees, could have a few showers or thunderstorms as late in the day on sunday. but the main event is sunday night through the first half of the day on monday. humid and downpours, with a high of only 79 degrees, but behind that front on tuesday, sunshine is back humidity drops and 87 degrees and we have a broad area of high pressure building in in the middle of week next week and that brings gorgeous weather on wednesday, for the union game

and friday clouds mixing with sun with the possibility of a late day shower and a high of 80 on friday. i'll have an update on the timing of the rain coming up on "action news" tonight at 11:00. abc world news is next on channel 6. "action news" continues at 10:00 on phl 17 with brian taff, sharrie williams, ducis rogers and adam joseph. and please join us for "action news" at 11:00. for cecily tynan and ducis rogers, i'm jim gardner we hope you'll join us at 11:00.

just as we come on tonight, as millions now travel, the tropical storm warning just issued. will it hit the coast this holiday? also tonight, the other system. severe storms across several states at this hour. two dead, several others missing. swept away in the flash floods. also at this hour, the heavy security tonight. hundreds of protesters gathering with donald trump near the u.s./mexico border. the motorcade barreling through a police barricade. and tonight, trump suddenly pulling his offer to debate bernie sanders. sanders firing back moments ago. the deadly police confrontation, under investigation. the officer jumping on the hood, firing through the windshield. the air scare. the passenger jet. the engine going up in flames. hundreds of passengers rushing from the plane. the new headline tonight about cancer and your cell