NWS warns of excessive heat

Archive for Monday, June 22, 2009

Dispatch Staff Reports

June 22, 2009, 2:30 p.m.

Updated: June 23, 2009, 8:50 a.m.

A heat advisory in effect until 10 a.m. Tuesday in the metro area will give way to excessive heat warning in effect from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 10 p.m. Wednesday.

The National Weather Service said afternoon temperatures would reach 97 and heat indexes will make it fee more like a sweltering 107 today.

Overnight lows are only expected to fall to 77 degrees through the heart of the metro area.

This combination of dangerously hot afternoons and warm nights, weather and health officials say, will make it difficult for those without air conditioning or persons spending extended periods outdoors to cool their core body temperature.

The most hazardous and potentially life-threatening heat and humidity will occur in the dense population centers of Kansas City where more densely packed urban buildings and asphalt will retain heat even through the overnight hours. There, afternoon temperatures will feel even hotter.

The cumulative effect of several days of hot and humid conditions, the NWS said, will necessitate the proper precautions to avoid heat stress or heat stroke.