After enjoying spring-like temperatures in the 80s on Wednesday followed by lows in the upper 40s across the region Thursday morning, the last thing on your mind right now is a heat wave, but that’s exactly what’s in store for our region over the next several days.
As temperatures begin to surge into the 90s and even 100s in the country’s mid-section, many here on the east coast are bracing for what could be our first official heat wave of the season. So far this year, we have yet to reach 90 degrees, something that is actually pretty rare believe it or not. Typically by now, we’ve already seen a couple 90-degree days. However, no worries, we will end this deficit in a hurry with several days of 90s expected beginning this weekend.
The official criteria for a heat wave are three consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 90 degrees. My five-day forecast has temperatures at or above 90 degrees from Saturday through Tuesday of next week.
According to the National Weather Service, on average, heat is second only to flooding in terms of weather-related fatalities, which is just another reason why we should take this type of prolonged heat very seriously, especially for sensitive groups and those who must be outside for a prolonged period of time.
Stay safe in this first of many heat waves to come this summer!
My favorite thing to do is study the weather. It is truly fascinating. Nothing beats a good thunderstorm. I became very interested in weather when I lived in Okinawa, Japan for four years and was actually inside a super typhoon.
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