The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued heat-related warnings for parts of 17 states across the Midwest, South, and Eastern U.S., with “dangerously hot conditions” expected in many areas on Thursday.
Why It Matters
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that particularly high temperatures can cause people to suffer from heat-related illness, especially older adults, young children, and those with chronic medical conditions.
Symptoms can include muscle cramps, unusually heavy sweating, dizziness, and nausea, according to the agency, which says that more than 700 people die from extreme heat every year in the U.S.
Warmer temperatures can also lead to higher ozone levels, which present additional health risks.
What To Know
An extreme heat warning, which the NWS issues when “a period of very hot temperatures, even by local standards, will occur,” was in place for portions of northeast Kentucky, southeast Ohio, and central, northern, southern, and western West Virginia.
The service said that heat index values, which reflect how hot it feels to the human body when humidity is factored in with the air temperature, were expected to reach up to 105 degrees in these areas.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors,” the NWS advised.
“Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances,” it warned.
Meanwhile, less severe heat advisories were in place across numerous surrounding states, including:
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
- Tennessee
- Virginia
What People Are Saying
The National Weather Service said on X on Wednesday: “Over the past 3 days of this eastern U.S. heat wave, hundreds of record highs have been broken from the Plains to the East Coast. Many more are possible today, before a cold front, and showers and storms start to back down the extreme heat.”
NWS Charleston, West Virginia, said on X on Thursday: “Excessive heat will continue once again Thursday. Please use caution and take steps to stay safe during this hot weather. In addition, isolated thunderstorms will be possible Thursday afternoon and evening. The main risks will be damaging winds and isolated large hail.”
What Happens Next
At the time of writing, the extreme heat warning for Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia was in effect until 8 p.m. E.T. on Thursday. The latest heat advisories were in effect until Friday, with the NWS saying: “Relief expected this weekend.”
Regular forecast updates are issued by the NWS on its website and social media channels.
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