Dangerous heat expected in metro-east this week. Here’s the latest forecast
Sweltering summer weather appears headed for the metro-east this week.
According to the National Weather Service forecast, highs will remain steady in the mid-to-upper-90s all week with the possibility of touching triple digits coupled with heat indexes above 100 degrees. No rain presently is in the forecast.
“Obviously Monday and Tuesday will still be warm but just not as warm as Wednesday moving forward,” Jared Maples, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said Monday. “Wednesday into maybe as much as Saturday and even Sunday temperatures will be well into the 90s.
“Out of that stretch, maybe Thursday or Friday will be the best potential to edge close to 100 degrees. In fact, it looks like Friday those temperatures are pretty much widespread across the bi-state area. And we’re talking about heat index values in the low 100s at least.”
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the region set to begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday and not expire until 9 p.m. Friday. Heat index values of up to 109 degrees are expected.
“We have conversed about heat warnings here in the background ... this will be one of the stronger cases for it this summer,” he said. “Not only will we see temperatures that are rivaled as some of the hottest of the summer but also for a a pretty decent duration.”
Maples further explained why advisories or warnings generally are not issued sooner.
“Part of that is not only the effectiveness of the product ... let’s say we have a slam dunk case for weather seven days from now, we could issue a warning or advisory,” he said. “But the longer the shelf life is, the shelf life of that would not be as effective and with it being a few days out, people might already have put it in back of minds. That is one aspect.”
Maples said the possibility of surprise thunderstorms that could impact temperatures is another reason the weather service waits to issue alerts.
Maples recommended people limit their outdoor activity as much as possible. And for people who have to work in the heat, he suggested loose-fitting, light-colored clothing, plenty of water consumption and frequent breaks.
“The hottest parts of the afternoon are usually 3-5 p.m. — give or take an hour or two,” Maples said. “During that time frame, for people who are outside, that is where heat-related illnesses are at their peak. Maintain a consistent flow of water to keep you hydrated. If you can, take frequent breaks or get into a shaded area every 5-10 minutes or every half an hour at least. Those things go a long way toward mitigating heat-related illnesses.”
Your car can become like an oven
Maples also stressed not leaving pets or children in the car. He said temperatures can soar rapidly in this heat and that the inside of a car essentially “becomes like an oven in a parking lot.”
“Once you shut off your car, you stop that air flow and air conditioned flow into the car,” Maples said. “Leaving children or pets in the car even if the air is running is still a very dangerous thing in and of itself. As far as the heat is concerned, within 10-15 minutes the inside of a car can rapidly become too hot for any living being.”
“You essentially could place cookies on a baking sheet onto the dashboard and they literally could bake through the afternoon.”
According to the National Safety Council, on average, 38 children under the age of 15 die each year from heatstroke after being left in a vehicle. The number of child hot car deaths for 2022 was 33, according to the National Safety Council website and, so far in 2023, 14 deaths have been reported.
Nearly every state has experienced at least one death since 1998. In both 2018 and 2019 a record 53 children died after being left in a hot vehicle, the Safety Council noted.
According to PETA’s website, in 2022, 57 animals endured heat–related deaths and another 488 were rescued from the heat. So far in 2023, 67 animals have endured heat-related deaths and another 228 were rescued from the heat. And those are just the ones that were reported, the website noted.
“Our phrase is look before you lock,” Kevin Deitsch, another National Weather Service meteorologist, said earlier this summer. “If you have children always check the back seat before locking the car and before you head into wherever you’re going. It only takes a few minutes to get the car dangerously hot.”
The National Weather Service recommends keeping plugged into the forecast as it develops at www.weather.gov. Their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/NWSStLouis.
This story was originally published July 24, 2023 at 3:17 PM.