Savannah, Georgia.Summer heat is nothing new to residents of the Southeast United States. However, the extremely hot weather this week broke at least one record, and forecasters are advising locals to remain hydrated and limit their time outside on Tuesday.
On Sunday, the temperature at Tampa International Airport reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius), breaking the previous record. In June 2020, the previous record was 99 F (37.2 C).
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The extended heat is predicted to climax across the Southeast by midweek, according to the National Weather Service on Tuesday. In the country’s central and eastern regions, a powerful upper ridge was also contributing to a deadly and protracted heat wave.
The shadow offers no respite.
After spending the morning blowing leaves, pruning plants, and mowing grass in Forsyth Park, located in the downtown historic center of Savannah, Georgia, landscaper Darius Cowherd took a rest Tuesday in the cab of his work truck.
He said, “I filled it with ice at 7 this morning and it’s all melted by 10:30,” while sipping from a huge water bottle that was about the size of a gallon jug.
Much of the park was covered with live oak trees, which offered little respite.
Cowherd, who was wearing a wide-brimmed hat to protect his face and neck, added, “It’s hot even when you’re working in the shade.”
According to the National Weather Service, Savannah would see temperatures as high as 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius) on Tuesday. The heat index indicated that the temperature would feel close to a scorching 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius).
Record-breaking
With highs of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the heat wave was predicted to break records throughout Florida on Tuesday. The Tampa Bay area was predicted to have heat index levels between 113 and 118 F (45 and 47.7 C).
According to Peter Mullinax, a National Weather Service meteorologist, we have high heat advisories in Georgia that extend across northern Florida, including locations like the Tampa Bay and Orlando metro areas. There may be more chances for temperatures to approach 100 degrees today.
On Wednesday, though, rain is predicted, which should somewhat calm things down.
In the heart of the nation, from New Orleans to St. Louis, extreme heat warnings were also issued, according to the meteorologist. Tuesday’s heat index was predicted to peak at 110 degrees Fahrenheit in southwest Illinois and the St. Louis region.
An excessive amount of heat
Despite the heat, a few tourists walked haltingly along the sidewalks in downtown Savannah. Some had umbrellas to protect them from the sun.
Luis Hernandez was painting second-story windows on a 19th-century house a block distant while perched on a ladder in the blazing sun. To avoid becoming sunburned, he wore long sleeves.
Hernandez claimed that one of his coworkers made sure he and the other house painters had drinking water in a cooler. They would go inside to take breaks in the air conditioning about every two hours.
Hernandez remarked, “Yeah, it’s hot,” nearly too much.
Willie Gaines and his crew stopped painting white traffic lines on a recently paved road close to the All Saints neighborhood on Tuesday afternoon as the temperature in Tallahassee rose. The blacktop was radiating heat as they sat in the tree’s shade. The fumes of fresh asphalt filled the air.
Gaines remarked, “Everyone is complaining that they have never seen it this hot.”
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This article was written by Associated Press journalists Mike Hempen of College Park, Maryland, and Kate Payne of Tallahassee, Florida.
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