#MEwx Fog, sun, heat and humidity with "Heat Wave" explained

Good morning Augusta

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This morning we have patchy fog with mostly sunny skies. Highs in the lower 80s with light and variable winds, becoming south around 10 mph this afternoon.

Tonight we’ll have partly cloudy skies during evening hours becoming mostly clear. Lows in the lower 60s with South winds around 10 mph in the evening, becoming light and variable.

The outdoor temperature is 58.1°F, the dewpoint is 57.8°F and it feels like 58.1°F.

We received 9.95 inches of  rain here over the past 24 hours.

Today’s sunrise is 4: 55 AM, sunset is 8:25 PM and we’ll have 15 hours 29 minutes of daylight today. Moonrise is 11:55 AM and Moonset is 12:50 AM. The moon phase is in its first quarter and is 43% illuminated. Our next full moon will be on June 21 and our next new moon is on July 5.

The wind velocity is between 1.1 MPH and 4.7 MPH from the North Northeast.

The Relative pressure is 29.79, the Absolute pressure is 29.59 and rising with a weather graphic indicating sun and a few clouds.

The Humidity is 99%, the UV index is 1 placing the average person at low risk and the solar radiation reading is 209.2W/m2.

Visibility is 10.0 Miles / 16.1 Kilometers with Sun and clouds.

 

Heat Wave

A heat wave is a period of unusually hot weather that typically lasts two or more days. To be considered a heat wave, the temperatures have to be outside the historical averages for a given area. for a given area. A couple of 95 degree summer days in Maine, for example, might be considered a heat wave, but a couple of 95 degree summer days in Death Valley would be pretty unremarkable.

For some, a heat wave might sound like an excuse to run around with a hose or into some sprinklers. In reality, though, heat waves are no laughing matter. They are serious weather phenomena that can be quite dangerous.

You see, there’s hot and then there’s HOT. One example of a HOT time was in late June and early July 2012 in the United States. During that time period, more than 8,000 warm temperature records were broken or tied. Many of these records had been unchallenged since the 1930s. Roads actually buckled in Chicago. Many deaths were attributed to the heat nationwide.

What causes a heat wave? Heat waves are generally the result of trapped air. During the 2012 heat wave, air was trapped above much of North America for a long period of time. As opposed to cycling around the globe, it simply stayed put and warmed like the air inside an oven.

 

The culprit? A high-pressure system from Mexico. Between June 20th and June 23rd, this system migrated north. It grew in size, and it parked itself over the Great Plains of the United States.

 

High-pressure systems force air downward. This force prevents air near the ground from rising. The sinking air acts like a cap. It traps warm ground air in place. Without rising air, there was no rain, and nothing to prevent the hot air from getting hotter.

But that wasn’t all. A weather pattern that normally pulls air toward the east was also weaker at the time. That meant that there was little that could be done to push this high-pressure cap out of the way.

Heat waves like this may be less exciting or dramatic than other natural disasters like tornados, hurricanes, flooding, or even thunderstorms, but heat waves kill more people in the United States than all other weather-related disasters combined.

 

You can stay safe during a heat wave with these helpful tips.

 

Take it easy. Slow down and avoid doing strenuous work.

 

Dress for the weather. Wear lightweight, light colored clothing.

 

Avoid high-protein foods and meat. Eating these can increase your body’s heat production.

 

Drink lots of water. Unless you have a condition that is affected by changing how much fluid you drink, it’s a good idea to keep as hydrated as possible.

 

Find an air-conditioned place to hang out. Don’t have an air conditioner of your own? Find a friend with one, or go to a public place like a library that has one.

 

Avoid getting too much sun. Sunburns make it harder for your body to cool off.

 

Be very careful in cars. Cars heat up extremely fast. You should never spend time in a parked car with windows closed, and you should always be wary of hot metal objects both inside (like seatbelt buckles) and outside the car.

 

* Know the difference between Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion, it might keep you alive.

Overheating is common for those who seek more time in the sun. However, heat exhaustion is a serious concern. If left untreated, it could result in a life-threatening situation known as a Heat Stroke. Heat Strokes occur when your body temperature rises to 103 degrees F or higher. The condition is most commonly experienced during the summer months. This is due to humidity and the sun being high when we spend more time outdoors.