2023-06-30 14:00:00
(CNN) — A heat wave in parts of the South and the Mississippi Valley is peaking and a new one is forming in the West this Friday, putting more than 70 million people in those areas under heat watches before the end. holiday week.
More dangerous severe thunderstorms and areas of heavy rain along the north side of the heat dome are forecast to move east from the Central Plains to the Ohio Valley and eventually the mid-Atlantic over the next few days, bringing not just some relief from the heat, but also the risk of damaging storms and additional power outages.
Oppressive heat suffocates the south
In the middle and lower Mississippi River Valley and deep South, temperatures this Friday will once again approach or exceed 37.8 degrees Celsius.
Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee; Birmingham, Alabama; Little Rock, Arkansas; The US and New Orleans are under excessive heat advisories, as heat and humidity can combine to make temperatures they sit between 40.5 and 46 degrees Celsius.
This is still agonizing and deadly heat that parts of the south have experienced for days. eleven people died in recent days due to heat-related illness in Webb County of Texas, which includes Laredo, and at least two people died from the heat in Louisiana’s Caddo Parish this month, authorities said.
Parts of Texas have been sweltering in temperatures of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two weeks, but the state is seeing signs of relief. Dallas was not under any heat advisories Friday morning as temperatures dropped to more typical summer values.
“Although some locations in Central and East Texas may meet advisory criteria, the prevalence of 105 heat indices will be much less widespread, and our extended series of heat advisories/advisories will come to an end,” the office said. in Dallas from the National Weather Service.
Heat in the rest of the South is expected to follow a similar pattern to Dallas, with some relief over the holiday weekend.
“An increase in showers and thunderstorms this weekend into next week during peak heat will bring some relief from the heat as the upper level ridge weakens slightly across the region,” the Service office said. National Weather Service in Memphis.
A woman fans herself in front of a grocery store in New Orleans on June 28, 2023. (Credit: Chris Granger/AP)
Storms will control the heat wave this weekend
Rounds of storms each day “will begin to erode the upper ridge (heat dome) responsible for the ongoing heat wave in the south and help to very slowly bring cooler air eastward across the central plains,” he said. the Weather Prediction Center this Friday morning.
But the tradeoff is dangerous storm rounds.
Damaging winds and large hail are the main threats today as storms move around the periphery of the stationary heat dome over the South. Denver, Atlanta, and Charlotte, North Carolina, are at a level 1 of 5 risk this Friday.
A level 2 of 5 slight risk of severe storms stretches from Colorado to Kentucky this Friday, including Colorado Springs, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Nashville, Tennessee.
Thunderstorm complexes with heavy downpours, hail and damaging wind gusts will develop over the Mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys this Saturday, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
Also this Saturday, a level 3 of 5 increased risk of severe storms covers parts of Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky, including St. Louis and Louisville. Damaging winds and large hail are the most likely threats with these storms. A level 2 of 5 risk extends as far east as the Virginias, the Carolinas, and Georgia.
For this Sunday, the storms point to the Ohio Valley towards the mid-Atlantic, where a Level 2 risk of 5 already stands out. Philadelphia, Washington and Indianapolis are included.
Southwest heats up as new heat wave builds up
As parts of the south begin to see some relief, the heat is rising in the west.
Millions of people in Las Vegas and Phoenix will be under excessive heat warnings starting this Saturday, with temperatures expected to exceed 43.3 degrees in both locations this weekend. And many parts of California are under excessive heat warnings or heat advisories.
Las Vegas surpassed a record of 293 consecutive days without reaching 37.7 degrees Celsius, but is expected to surpass them this Friday and shoot up to 43.3 degrees Celsius this Sunday and the days to come.
“This heat must be taken seriously and precautions must be taken to prevent heat-related illnesses,” warned the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas. “Avoid outdoor activity during the hottest hours of the day (10 am to 4 pm), drink more water, take breaks in cool or shady places, and wear lightweight, light-colored clothing,” he added.
More than 600 people in the US die each year from extreme heat, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As human-induced climate change forces temperatures around the world to rise, officials urge people to take safety precautions during heat waves, including staying hydrated, avoiding leaving pets and children in unattended cars and finding cool indoor spaces to wait out the high temperatures.
— CNN’s Aya Elamroussi contributed to this report.
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