Heat Wave Hits Region

There is hot, and then there is hot. Extreme heat is a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees for at least two to three days.

“That is exactly what we'll have this week,” Weakley County Emergency Management Agency representatives note. “In extreme heat, your body works extra hard to maintain a normal temperature, which can lead to death.”

Extreme heat is responsible for the highest number of annual deaths among all weather-related hazards. Dangerous, record-setting heat will continue from the Upper Midwest to the Southeast through midweek, according to the National Weather Service.

Dangerous heat will continue to build across an expansive portion of the U.S., with Excessive Heat Watches, Excessive Heat Warnings, and Heat Advisories currently extending from the Upper Midwest to the Southeast - impacting nearly a third of the U.S. population. A dome of high pressure is expected to generate well above-normal to record-breaking temperatures across the region the remainder of this week. This heat, combined with high humidity, will likely produce heat indices well into the triple digits in many locations. Although above-normal temperatures are forecast to continue, some moderation is expected for many locations on Thursday.