National Weather Service issues ‘extreme heat watch’ for the metro-east
The National Weather Service Thursday issued an “extreme heat watch” for this weekend as the first heat wave of the season will hit the metro-east just hours after the official beginning of summer.
The watch is in effect from noon Saturday to 9 p.m. Tuesday. It follows the summer solstice on Friday, which is the longest day of the year.
“The long duration of heat with afternoon heat indexes at or above 105° will significantly increase the risk for heat illnesses each day,” according to a report from the St. Louis office of the weather service.
The high temperatures Saturday to Tuesday is expected to be about 96 each day in the metro-east, according to the weather service.
The service urges residents to drink plenty of water and stay out of the sun. It also notes “car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.”
A break from the heat may occur on Tuesday when there is a chance for thunderstorms to develop over the metro area.
Normal high temperatures are 88 for this time of the year.
This weekend’s forecast highs are below the record highs for these days, according to the National Weather Service. The record for Saturday, June 21 is 99, which was set in 1988 as measured at St. Louis Lambert International Airport.
Here are the other records:
- Sunday, June 22: 102 in 1930
- Monday, June 23: 101 in 1930
- Tuesday, June 24: 102 in 1988
This story was originally published June 19, 2025 at 11:42 AM.