Temperatures are set to rise near the century mark this afternoon. We've been hotter before. It's the Midwest. But temperatures this high in the Upper Midwest usually occur during times of drought. Today's heat wave is happening with incredible amounts of moisture in the air. And that could be a deadly combination.
The five-day heat wave that affected Chicago in 1995 killed 739 people and was the worst in the city's history. While this won't last as long or possibly be as intense, it is important to look at what's happened in the past to understand the danger we have today.
At 10:00am, the Quad Cities' heat index surpassed 100 degree. At 11:00am it was 104 degrees and we're not stopping there. In fact, temperatures and heat index values are rising faster than originally forecast. Our peak heat index could end up in the 110-120 degree range. That type of heat can easily put too much stress on our bodies.
Meteorologists are diligent when severe weather and tornadoes are in the forecast because of their danger to life and damage to property. But we really need to look at the effect heat has on our health and the number of fatalities that occur in this type of heat.
According to data from the National Weather Service, there are more fatalities from heat than hurricanes and tornadoes combined. It is certainly possible, if not likely, that someone in our area will lose their life due to the heat today. Unfortunately, that is preventable. Please don't overdo yourself and help those who can't help themselves. Anyone without air conditioning is at greater risk for heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
-Meteorologist Eric Sorensen