Heat wave in North Carolina with high heat indexes and warnings officially ends Thursday

Numerous central North Carolina counties in the ABC11 New viewing area are under an Extreme Heat Warning until 8 p.m. Sunday night.

Those counties include: Warren, Halifax, Orange; Durham, Franklin, Nash, Edgecombe, Chatham, Wake, Johnston, Wilson, Moore, Lee, Harnett, Wayne, Richmond, Scotland, Hoke, Cumberland, and Sampson; Vance and Granville counties are under a heat advisory.

The warning comes as the area will be in for a long stretch of dangerously hot days across North Carolina.

More warnings and advisories could come this weekend.

You can check weather alerts here.

Download the ABC11 App for the latest Weather Forecast and Alerts

The fourth heat wave of the year kicked off Friday and is set to continue into next week.

A Heat Advisory is in effect for central North Carolina from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., with heat index values ranging from 105 to 110. High temperatures will climb to around 100 degrees. High pressure building off the Southeast coast will strengthen the southerly to southwesterly flow, and a slight dip in the ridge could trigger isolated thunderstorms Friday afternoon.

This weekend, near-record highs around 100 degrees are expected, with feels-like temperatures climbing to 105 to 115 or higher. An Extreme Heat Warning is in place from Saturday morning through Sunday evening.

Looking Ahead

Thanks to the strong ridge of high pressure, dry conditions will persist for the next several days, with the forecast remaining mostly dry through midweek.

Heat can be a silent killer, and with another heat wave on the way, people at the Forest Hills pool are finding ways to cool off.

"We've been down here this week because this week has been a scorcher," said Wilbert Smith. "It's been helping. They've been cool. They are happy when they come here. That's why I brought them."

It's Smith's second time this week bringing his grandkids and nephew to the pool. His nephew Mark Melton, 10, said the pool helps him cool off and stay social.

"Seeing them again and making new friends. It could be a new friend for life or just a day," he said.

In the shaded area of the pool, ABC11 met a group of teachers who were drinking their water and minding their business after going for a swim.

"It's been real hot and I'm excited to be out here hanging with some lovely teacher friends. I think you have to be careful with how long you're out in the sun and what you're doing," said Natalie Kolosieke.

ALSO SEE Heat Safety Tips: Ways to stay cool during the heat wave

According to experts, it's critical to catch the signs of heat exhaustion early. Symptoms include muscle cramps, sweating, headache, feeling irritable, dizziness, confusion, or vomiting. Experts said everyone is vulnerable to extreme heat, but men show up most to emergency rooms across the state every year due to heat exhaustion because they are more likely to work outdoors.

"If it moves to where someone gets confused, loses consciousness, or vomits, this is heat stroke territory," said Dr. Ashley Ward, director of Duke University's Heat Policy Innovation Hub. "Our heat seasons now are much more dangerous than they used to be, in large part because our humidity is so high. When it's high, it makes it hard for bodies to thermoregulate. We can't sweat, and that sweat evaporates into the atmosphere like it's designed to do to cool us off."

Dr. Ward said ways to cool off include using air conditioning, staying hydrated, taking cold showers and foot baths, using fans or wet cloths for the body.

If there's a neighborhood pool like in Forest Hills, you might want to consider taking Melton's word.

"It feels good to go in the pool," he said.

"Our heat seasons now are much more dangerous than they used to be."

Several counties have activated their cooling centers. Here are some below:

Wake County

Wake County Public Libraries
Friday, July 25 -- Wednesday, July 30

Regional Centers and Health and Human Services Centers
Monday, July 28 -- Wednesday, July 30

Wake County Health & Human Services, 220 Swinburne St., Raleigh
Departure Regional Center, 5809 Departure Drive, Raleigh
Eastern Regional Center, 1002 Dogwood Drive, Zebulon
Northern Regional Center, 350 E. Holding Ave., Wake Forest
Southern Regional Center, 130 N. Judd Parkway NE, Fuquay-Varina
Western Health & Human Services Center, 111 James Jackson Ave., Cary

Make sure to check times online.

Durham County

Durham Public Libraries
Friday, July 25 -- Wednesday, July 30

Main Library, 200 N. Roxboro Street
East regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Ln
North Regional Library, 221 Milton Rd
South Regional Library, 4505 S Alston Avenue
Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Road

Make sure to check times online.

Orange County

Main Library in Hillsborough, 137 W. Margaret Lane, Hillsborough
Southern Branch Library, 203 S. Greensboro St., Carrboro,
RENA Community Center, 101 Edgar St., Chapel Hill

Make sure to check times online.

Cumberland County

Cumberland County Department of Social Services Auxiliary Lobby, 1225 Ramsey St.
Cumberland County Department of Public Health First Floor Lobby, 1235 Ramsey St
Fayetteville Area System of Transit (FAST) Lobby, 505 Franklin St.
Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation Center Lobby
Fayetteville Cares Day Resource Center, 128 South King St., Fayetteville

All eight Cumberland County Public Libraries locations will be open too. Make sure to check online for times.