"Excessive heat watch" just issued for my area

[karlrschneider]

This is, AFAICT, some new kind of 'weather warning', I've lived in Oklahoma for most of my 64 years and never heard of such a thing. Severe weather, tornado, hail...all have been common for many years but this one is a first. Local TV news just showed a temp of 108 in the south part of the state, it's in the 90s here (pretty normal for mid July).

:eyes:

[Deja Q]

1. Same here. A 'watch'? Surely more of a 'feel'?

And not in a good way?

[Howardx]

2. here in los angeles too

not that unusual but with no ac its a concern!

[L A Woman]

25. but doesn't it seem like it's been over 100 here for months???

bloody nightmare. it's going to be 110 in woodland hills saturday.

[leftyladyfrommo]

32. Hey we are supposed to be to 101 by Sunday here in KC

Its a hot summer here but not that unusual - we have had several years of really mild wet summers and I much prefer this stuff.

[WindRavenX]

3. probably due to other factors like pollution, weather, etc

Plus, if the heat index is 120 + -- you really shouldn't be outside ;)

[madeline_con]

8. But then....

how would one participate in the "Heat Watch"? :0

[WindRavenX]

10. lol

Oh English...:rofl:

[stevietheman]

4. Meanwhile, here in KY, we're getting a rainy season when it's supposed...

to be the "dry season". Something is going wrong with Mother Nature.

[Midlodemocrat]

5. You must be one of those libruls who thinks there is such

a thing as global warming. Here, in VA, we are having a very cool summer.


:sarcasm:

[lovuian]

6. 108 thats a Very scary temperature try to stay cool

which is hard to do...

[lonestarnot]

9. 115 forecast for Phoenix today. Feels like 120.

[SPKrazy]

31. Ah, But It's A Dry Heat

and they say it's the humidity not the heat

although, once you get over 100 degrees, I think it doesn't really matter anymore

[lonestarnot]

7. The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire!

Watching things burn around here.

[katty]

11. were not on that yet (LA) but it is blazing hot, a very weird intensity

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. Really hot here in KC and 70% chance of severe storms

tonite.

But then it is going right back up to about 98.

This is turning out to be a hot summer.

[TahitiNut]

13. National Weather Service ...

/O.NEW.KTSA.EH.A.0001.060714T1800Z-060718T0000Z/
CRAWFORD-FRANKLIN-SEBASTIAN-OSAGE-WASHINGTON OK-NOWATA-CRAIG-
OTTAWA-PAWNEE-TULSA-ROGERS-MAYES-DELAWARE-CREEK-OKFUSKEE-OKMULGEE-
WAGONER-CHEROKEE-ADAIR-MUSKOGEE-MCINTOSH-SEQUOYAH-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VAN BUREN...OZARK...CHARLESTON...
FORT SMITH...PAWHUSKA...BARTLESVILLE...NOWATA...VINITA...MIAMI...
PAWNEE...TULSA...CLAREMORE...PRYOR...JAY...BRISTOW...OKEMAH...
OKMULGEE...WAGONER...TAHLEQUAH...STILWELL...MUSKOGEE...EUFAULA...
SALLISAW
248 PM CDT THU JUL 13 2006

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TULSA HAS ISSUED AN EXCESSIVE
HEAT WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN ARKANSAS...
CRAWFORD...FRANKLIN...SEBASTIAN.

IN OKLAHOMA...
OSAGE...WASHINGTON...NOWATA...CRAIG...OTTAWA...PAWNEE...TULSA...
ROGERS...MAYES...DELAWARE...CREEK...OKFUSKEE...OKMULGEE...
WAGONER...CHEROKEE...ADAIR...MUSKOGEE...MCINTOSH...SEQUOYAH.

AFTERNOON HEAT INDICES OF OVER 105 DEGREES WILL BE POSSIBLE ACROSS
NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AND WEST CENTRAL ARKANSAS FRIDAY THROUGH
MONDAY. MANY AREAS WILL SEE OVERNIGHT LOWS NEAR 80 DEGREES AS
WELL...ESPECIALLY IN THE TULSA METROPOLITAN AREA.

THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO THE HIGH TEMPERATURES FRIDAY
ACROSS NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA AS A COMPLEX OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL
AFFECT PART OF THE AREA EARLY IN THE DAY. IF CLOUD COVER LINGERS
INTO THE AFTERNOON...THE HIGHS WILL BE COOLER THAN FORECAST. HOT
WEATHER APPEARS MORE LIKELY FOR SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
TEMPERATURES WILL MODIFY SLIGHTLY BY TUESDAY AS THE UPPER RIDGE
SHIFTS TO THE NORTH.

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HOT
TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND
HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN
WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY
IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP
ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS...ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY.

NEVER LEAVE ANYONE IN A CLOSED...PARKED VEHICLE...TEMPERATURES
INSIDE CAN REACH OVER 150 DEGREES QUICKLY...RESULTING IN HEAT
STROKE AND DEATH. PETS CAN ALSO SUCCUMB TO THE AFFECTS OF
EXCESSIVE HEAT. ENSURE PETS HAVE ADEQUATE DRINKING WATER AND A
SHADY PLACE TO REST. DO NOT LEAVE PETS IN CARS.

THIS WATCH DOES NOT ACTIVATE THE CITY OF TULSAS HEAT EMERGENCY
PLAN. THIS WATCH IS MEANT FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY. THE
TULSA HEAT EMERGENCY PLAN WILL BE ACTIVATED BY THE CITY OF TULSA
BASED ON INPUT FROM THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AUTHORITY...
EMSA...OR WHEN THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUES A HEAT
ADVISORY OR EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING FOR THE TULSA METRO AREA.

[karlrschneider]

18. Thanks! I tried to copy & paste from my weatherbug but didn't work

didn't think to go over to NWS.
;-)

[longship]

14. Look at the "Excessive heat watch" zone here

[MuseRider]

15. It is killer up here right now.

96 with a heat index of 106, dew point 76. Storms coming but if it goes the way it has all summer we will be lucky to get .01 of an inch. It is very dry but also very humid.

Stay cool.

I agree, they are warning us about anything and everything now. Has there been a day lately without a hazardous weather warning? Fire danger, ozone danger, heat danger, fog danger and on and on it goes. Don't forget your sunglasses now :eyes:

[pitohui]

17. it's because of chicago 1995 heat disaster where 739 known dead

here's a link abt it:

http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/443213in.html

an article in the nation claimed that thousands died, w. most deaths attributed to other causes, but hundreds of deaths of the old people were admitted to be caused by the heat

the chicago morque was backed up w. bodies to be autopsied, a truly gruesome scene described in the nation at that time, i wish i could link that article but doubt it's online anywhere

[pitohui]

16. those temperatures kill, check out mid1990s chicago

don't remember the year but hundreds of old people -- some say thousands -- died in a similar heat wave in chicago

108 degrees F is not a survivable temp for many old people unless the humidity is quite lo, such as in vegas or phoenix

[acmejack]

19. Guess we will be in trouble when the rolling black outs begin.

Which they will from "excessive use" caused by our air conditioners trying to cool us off. High fuel costs, high usage, bad news...

[madmark]

20. sprout a pair; its gets over 120 here (az)

[mohinoaklawnillinois]

21. Yeah, but 120 in AZ is what we call "dry heat", here in the

Midwest we have a thing called humidity....

[marions ghost]

24. call it dry or wet

Arizona is one hot hot hot place.:)

Being from the east, I believed the "dry heat" argument, that it somehow makes you feel less hot.Until I went to Phoenix in July. I'd rather have the humidity--at least you feel hydrated while you're suffocating.

[pitohui]

26. 120 there is equivalent to about 85 here

so i say back at ya -- grow a pair

i have been in nevada and arizona when temps are 120 and it simply isn't a concern, because of the extremely low humidity, the sweat immediately evaporates off your body and you remain fine, assuming you do drink enough water -- you are somewhat aware that it's hot but it is simply not bothersome or dangerous

in higher humidity, the moisture can't evaporate from your body, the heat becomes oppressive, and in short order the older people w. less ability to regular body temperature start dying in waves of dozens, sometimes hundreds -- once in texas, in i believe 1980, it was documented that 2,000 people died

upstream i have a link telling of the 739 people killed in the 1995 chicago heat wave

when 2,000 people or even 700 people die of heat in a few days in phoenix i'll take advice from someone in arizona on the subject of heat waves

you folks simply do not have a clue, no offense, just a statement of bald fact

[slackmaster]

22. It's been pretty damn uncomfortable even in San Diego

Waaaaay to hot and humid at night.

Most of us don't have air conditioning because we so rarely need it.

[Rhiannon12866]

37. I've visited San Diego and loved the weather there, lovely city!

It was sunny, but still cool enough, because it's right on the water. I thought that it must be the perfect place to live...:D

Sorry that you're experiencing the same heat wave that the rest of us are. I'm in Northern NY where it was oppressively hot yesterday. I had to run my car for about 20 minutes, just to be able to sit in it, and gas here is at $3-a-gallon. :-( And it's supposed to get even hotter and more humid here, over the next few days, with temps in the 90s, even 100! We wouldn't survive without A/C.:-(

[CatholicEdHead]

23. We also have it in Minnesota

Most people are not really acclimated for it. Oklahoma may be different but it is mostly for the humidity than the heat. A dry heat is one thing, a wet heat is quite another.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1135 AM CDT THU JUL 13 2006

...PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUS HEAT EXPECTED ACROSS THE TWIN
CITIES THIS WEEKEND...

.A COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HIGH HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN
DANGEROUS HEAT INDICES BETWEEN 100 AND 105 ON BOTH SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY. A NIGHT TIME LOW BETWEEN 75 AND 80 WITHIN THIS WARM PERIOD
WILL CAUSE STRUCTURES THAT LACK AIR CONDITIONING TO POTENTIALLY
BUILD UP UNSAFE LEVELS OF HEAT OVER TIME.

MNZ060-062-140045-
/O.CON.KMPX.EH.A.0001.060715T1700Z-060716T2300Z/
HENNEPIN-RAMSEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MINNEAPOLIS...ST. PAUL
1135 AM CDT THU JUL 13 2006

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

WITH POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING CONDITIONS FOR SHUT IN SENIORS
OR ANYONE CURRENTLY IN POOR HEALTH WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING...
PLANS SHOULD BE MADE NOW TO ENSURE THAT SAFE...COOL LOCATIONS CAN
BE PROVIDED.

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF HOT
TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND
HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN
WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY
IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP
ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

$$
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/wwamaps/wwatxtget.php?cwa=arx&wwa=excessive%20heat%20watch

[KyndCulture]

42. We have it up here in DL too.

It's gonna be 100 today.

[B Calm]

27. A democratic close friend and I have been floating and drinking

in my pond for the last three and a half hours. Hotter than hell here in Infana...

[Lady Effingbroke]

28. Just another day in Pasadenistan:

from weather.com

Lather...Rinse...Repeat until November.

[Nicole]

29. I'm feeling it in SW OK

Temp in Lawton was 108° today. It's still 103° & it's after 8:00 p.m.! I'm ready to head to OKC where it's a cool 75° right now.

I can't imagine what my electric bill will be for this month. :(

We have had "excessive heat watch" issued here for the last couple of summers.

[ourbluenation]

30. same thing in the north bay a few weeks ago.

graduation weekend it was 112

[Rhiannon12866]

33. Me, too! And I live in Northern NY... :-(

It was oppressively hot yesterday and is supposed to get even hotter over the next few days. And only two weeks ago we had monsoon rains and I was receiving scores of flood watches and warnings, over several days. The weather team took over the local TV channels and warned everyone to "stay put," it was so bad out there. Towns to the South and West of here were actually underwater... Water levels haven't been as high here since most anyone can remember...:scared:

My local weather forecast:
Dear Rhiannon,

A very hot stretch of weather is in store for the region, beginning today and likely lasting into Tuesday of next week.

Many locations especially across the valley floors will experience daytime temperatures of 90 or higher.

It will be moderately humid today, then turn oppressively humid tomorrow through Tuesday. For the period Sunday through Tuesday of next week the combination of heat and humidity should push the heat index to around 100 degrees!

Mostly dry weather is expected. However as the very humid air pushes in tomorrow afternoon it could cause a stray late day storm. If you see any storms tomorrow, they could be accompanied by very heavy rainfall and perhaps some strong winds, too.

The next chance for any thunderstorms will be Monday evening, especially over The Adirondacks to Vermont, with a better chance for storms and showers for all next Tuesday as a weak cold front moves through.

Updated 4:40 am more...

Sincerely,
Chief Meteorologist Steve Caporizzo

[hedgehog]

34. New York is also getting torrential rain

as in 2"-4" in a day. Some of the houses getting flooded are over a hundred years old and have never flooded before. I heard that down in Binghamton the water rose above the 500 year flood mark in some places. Since this moisture is from the south instead of off Lake Ontario, I'm wondering what happens this winter. Looks like the snow plow drivers will be racking up the over-time!

[Rhiannon12866]

39. And more rain is expected in the next week, just after this oppressive

heat wave...:-(

I'm in Saratoga, but I know what you're facing. We had torrential rains, but know that both Fulton and Herkimer counties experienced worse, since I received dozens of flood warning "weather alerts," and Albany Channel 10 preempted regular programming to remain on the air with continued weather coverage, telling people to stay put. I know that towns to the West of here were virtually underwater. My SO drove through Canajoharie, and saw cars with water up to the rooftops. He also has a boat on the Sacandaga and water levels were at record highs, the lake full of debris, making it too dangerous to go out. We're living through some tough times, weather wise, even here in the NE.:scared:

edited for spelling

[NewWaveChick1981]

35. I took my evening fitness walk last night, and it was horribly

hot and humid. When I got back in, my face was so red---it never gets to me like that, but last night it did. :scared: It took me a long time and a shower to cool off. That's too freakin' hot.

[ChickMagic]

36. We're under a heat advisory for the next week at least

And our air conditioner was out all week. It got fixed late yesterday.
My hubby has a cold, I have heat related bronchitis and we've both
suffered from heat exhaustion. It's very dangerous.

[Zookeeper]

38. Of course, I started a landscaping project just before...

the weather turned miserable. Now I have six shrubs sitting outside roasting in their pots. :-(

I'm usually stoic, but when it gets this hot I'm cranky, crabby and whine-y.

I guess I'll shift back to building furniture in my cool basement for the next few days.

[Skittles]

40. I am dying here in North Texas

100+ degree days as far as the eye can see :(

[gizmo1979]

41. I lived in Ok for a while.

I remeber 114 once,but they said it's a dry heat.

[mvd]

43. There's one here, too

Maybe they are more common here because we aren't as used to the high temps.

Have a good rest of the weekend, all, and stay cool. Check on the elderly you know and protect your pets.

[RoyGBiv]

44. I had the same thought ...

It is hot, but it's not really *that* hot, relatively speaking, for this time of year. We've had some very mild summers the last few years, at least with regard to the relative temperature, factoring in the humidity. Summer of '99, now that was HOT. Temps in excess of 100 degrees every day for over two weeks, near 100 for another month, with the humidity in the range where dew would form if it got down in the 80's at night.

Had a friend that had just moved to the US from Russia, northern Russia, that year. She almost died and promptly moved to Northern California the next year.

Anyway, I had an inkling this was one in a long line of marketing tricks the local weather people use to convince people they are more professional than the next guy. See, we've got this warning for you, and no one else does. However, it appears to be coming from the National Weather Service, or at least a similar warning showed up on WeatherUnderground.com as well, so I'm guessing it isn't just a local thing.

[clyrc]

45. My parents live in Tulsa

When I call my mom, she always tells me it's too hot there. I tell her it's not as hot there as it is in Sharjah, and I'm mostly right. I'll be in Tulsa in about a month, and I hope it cools down by then. Although asking for a cool August in OK is unrealistic.