MURRAY — Murray and Calloway County continue to experience the longest stretch of extreme heat of the summer, with temperatures expected to remain above normal for much of the next month, according to Murray’s official government weather observer.
“A dangerous heatwave will continue to impact our region through the weekend,” said a Wednesday afternoon email advisory from Sean Poulos, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Paducah office. “We have upgraded the entire region to an Extreme Heat Warning for Thursday through Sunday as daily heat index readings will peak in the 105 to 110 range each day. Little relief is expected at night with lows only falling into the mid to upper 70s. This looks to be our longest lasting heatwave of this summer season.”
The Extreme Heat Warning will officially begin at 11 a.m. Thursday and is currently scheduled to be lifted at 8 p.m. Sunday, the NWS website said. Justin Holland, Murray’s official government weather observer for NWS Paducah, said Wednesday that the current heat wave, which began last Sunday, could end up lasting a week-and-a-half to two weeks by the time it is over. This would be significantly longer than the three- or four-day heat waves experienced earlier this summer, he noted.
Holland said Sunday is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far, with an afternoon high of 98 to 99 degrees. Some home thermometers could reach 100 degrees, Holland said.
“The record for this time of year is in about the 101-105-degree range, so we're not going to be breaking any records, but we're not going to miss it by a great deal,” Holland said. “We’ll only miss the record by three or four degrees, probably, but we are running about eight degrees above normal for daytime highs for this weekend. The normal high is about 90 degrees.”
The prolonged heat comes after a relatively mild July. Murray’s average high temperature last month was 88 degrees, which Holland said was about 1 degree below normal. Although July included several hot stretches, they were short-lived, he said.
August, however, is likely to finish warmer than normal, and the extended forecast indicates above-normal temperatures could continue through the next month, Holland said. As always, he said residents should avoid spending extended periods outdoors during the hottest part of the day, generally from about 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The difference between a Heat Advisory and an Extreme Heat Warning is largely a matter of how quickly dangerous heat effects can develop, Holland said. A heat index – or how hot the combination of the temperature and humidity makes it feel – of 110 degrees or below generally falls under a heat advisory, while values above 110 degrees can prompt an Extreme Heat Warning. Under the more extreme conditions, people engaged in strenuous outdoor activity could experience heat exhaustion or heat stroke in as little as 20-30 minutes, compared with roughly 40-45 minutes under heat advisory conditions, Holland said.
The extended outlook calls for above-normal temperatures over the next 6-14 days and continuing into the 30-day forecast, Holland said. Although occasional cooler days are possible, particularly when clouds and rain are present, he said the overall pattern is expected to remain warmer than average. Normal high temperatures will gradually decline as summer gives way to fall, reaching about 88 degrees by the end of August and about 84 degrees by mid-September, Holland said.
Other heat safety tips from Holland include:
- Those who must work outside should take frequent breaks, stay in the shade and use air conditioning whenever possible.
- Wear lightweight, light-colored and moisture-wicking clothing, rather than cotton.
- Pets should be brought inside when possible and provided with plenty of cool water.
