Feels-like temperatures could hit 109 degrees Wednesday, heat advisory in effect: First Alert Day
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- First Alert Day on Wednesday with the temperature in the mid-90s, the feels-like temperature is expected to be up to 107 degrees.
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A few popup thunderstorms could fire up in the afternoon.
Raleigh recorded its hottest day on record at 106 degrees on Friday, July 5. The feels-like on Friday also remained in triple-digits. The previous highest temperature recorded in Raleigh was 105 degrees. That happened in 1952, 1988, 2007 and 2012.
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Heat Safety
People at risk on hot days like this include adults older than 65, children under 4, people with existing medical conditions and those without access to air conditioning.
Here are some tips to stay cool and safe:
- Make sure to drink plenty of water and fluids
- Stay out of sun as much as possible
- Dress in loose-fitting, lightweight and light-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible
- Find air-conditioned space and limit sun exposure
- Avoid strenuous work during the warmest part of the day
It's also important to remember to never leave children or pets alone in closed vehicles.
Durham Parks & Recreation held a summer splash day on Tuesday. Families stopped by and enjoyed some cooling mist amid the dangerous heat. There was also drinking water available.
It happened at the Hotel Career and Resource Center from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
ABC11 spoke with Mary Unterreiner with Durham Parks & Rec before the event and asked what the goal was.
"The idea is to get as many kids as we can. We would love to have all the community come out," she said. "With the event only being 2 hours, we hope that it won't be too much sun exposure for folks."
Wake County extended cooling stations to be open until Thursday, July 11.
"Summer is only just getting started, and already the heat is intense," Darshan Patel, operations manager with Wake County Emergency Management, said in a press release. "We encourage everyone to stay safe by drinking lots of water and taking breaks in air-conditioned spaces, such as our cooling centers, whenever possible."
Cumberland County also extended cooling centers until Sunday, July 14th.
Looking Ahead
Heat and humidity will lead to randomly scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms across the Triangle all week. These cells are not likely to be very large and are not expected to travel far from wherever they develop on a given day. Evaporation rates will exceed rainfall through Wednesday, so expect the soil to dry out again despite the recent welcome rains.
Things will be a bit different Thursday and Friday as a trough aloft pushes a cold front into the eastern Carolinas Thursday.
The result will be a fairly large area of afternoon and evening thunderstorms and the cold frontal passage over the Carolinas Thursday into Thursday night.
This will likely stall over or just to the east of the Triangle on Friday, bringing us another day of showers and thunderstorms.
