From the National Weather Service:
URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPRINGFIELD MO
427 PM CDT WED AUG 3 2011
…DANGEROUS HEAT WAVE PERSISTING INTO THURSDAY…
A STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE PLAINS AND MIDWEST WILL CONTINUE TO CAUSE UNSEASONABLY HOT WEATHER THROUGH THURSDAY. AFTER MORE RECORD BREAKING TEMPERATURES TODAY…HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE 90S TO AROUND 100 DEGREES CAN AGAIN BE EXPECTED ON THURSDAY.
ADDITIONALLY…OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL ONLY FALL INTO THE MIDDLE 70 TO AROUND 80 DEGREES.
TEXAS-DENT-DOUGLAS-HOWELL-SHANNON-OZARK-OREGON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…HOUSTON…CABOOL…SALEM…AVA…
WEST PLAINS…WINONA…EMINENCE…GAINESVILLE…THEODOSIA…
THAYER…ALTON
427 PM CDT WED AUG 3 2011
A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 PM CDT THURSDAY.
* SHORT TERM TRENDS…LATE AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES RANGED FROM 102 TO 108 ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL MISSOURI…WITH HEAT INDICES RANGING FROM 108 TO 115 DEGREES. TEMPERATURES THIS EVENING WILL BE SLOW TO COOL…WITH HEAT INDICES REMAINING ABOVE 100 DEGREES THROUGH SUNSET.
* TIMING AND AREAS AFFECTED…AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IS IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. A HEAT ADVISORY IS THEN IN EFFECT FROM MID EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY.
* TEMPERATURE…LOWS TONIGHT WILL ONLY FALL INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 70S. HIGHS ON THURSDAY WILL BE IN THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 90S WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES PEAKING BETWEEN 100 AND 105 DEGREES.
* IMPACTS…THE PROLONGED NATURE OF THIS HEAT WAVE WILL INCREASE THE RISK FOR HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF
DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY.
TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE…RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.
TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK…THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY…CALL 9 1 1.
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