Weather It Is (Extreme Heat)

Good Morning:

There is an extreme heat warning from Sunday through Wednesday.  Temperatures will be in the mid 30s in the central mountains, upper 30s to near forty Celsius in the Valleys, and low 30s with moderate humidity near the coast.

Monday will probably bring temperatures in the mid 40s in the Dead Sea Valley.  Temperatures will be slightly cooler near the coast as winds take on a more northwesterly component, but with very high humidity. Temperatures will be in the mid 30s elsewhere.

The latest ensemble forecasts suggest that Wednesday (the 19th of August)  has a 70% chance of being the hottest day of the heat wave, with temperatures generally in the upper 30s to near 40 C (and of course hotter in the Jordan and Dead Sea Valleys).

As last time, this is an extremely dangerous weather condition, and the dryness and heat can lead to heat stroke (even when someone doesn't feel too hot because of sweat evaporation).

See: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heat-stroke/basics/prevention/con-20032814

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/staying-healthy/first-aid/heat-exhaustion-an-heatstroke.html

http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heattips.asp

Thursday should start a cooling trend and by the last week in August temperatures will be perfectly pleasant.

The heat wave is courtesy of high pressure over Africa bridging eastward and the desert low pressure area to our east extending its influence westward over our area.  High pressure over Europe remains far to the north and hence too far away to bring any cool relief.  Late in the week the high over Africa will weaken a bit and the low pressure area will shift slightly eastward.  For us, this will make a big difference in our temperatures, as noted above.

Windy conditions coupled with the high heat will make for a high fire risk throughout the heat wave!


Barry Lynn