With temperatures expected to reach the upper 90s this week, Owensboro and western Kentucky are currently under an excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service at Paducah.
Kevin Smith, National Weather Service meteorologist, said Monday that the cause of the extremely high temperatures is an area of high pressure moving eastward from the West Coast.
“With high pressure, you have descending air, and as the air descends it has a tendency to warm up,” Smith said. “As this large area of high pressure continues to move east, it tends to suppress or push away a lot of the shower and thunderstorm activity that we have been experiencing off and on through the spring.”
Smith said the particular type of weather pattern the area is currently seeing has a tendency to increase temperatures.
“You can still get humidity underneath this ridge of high pressure and that is why it feels so oppressive right now,” he said. “You still have a lot of moisture…and all that is essentially trapped under this dome of high pressure that is sinking all the time.”
Smith said western Kentucky is expected to see temperatures described as “well above normal” for about the next two weeks.
“At this time of year, normal (temperatures) are moving into the upper 80s,” Smith said. “We are going to be 10 to 15 degrees above normal and in some cases, up to 20 degrees above normal.”
Smith said people should take precautions from the extreme heat.
“We have seen a lot of relatively cool temperatures near normal or below normal for the last few months, and now you just get this big heatwave in June and it can take a lot of people off guard,” he said.
Daviess County Emergency Management Director Andy Ball said it is important those working outside take extra precautions during the extreme heat, including taking breaks from their work and drinking plenty of water.
While extreme cold in Daviess County can mean a “white flag” event will be declared, where are shelters and churches will open their doors to the areas homeless and transient population.
Ball said there is nothing similar in place when temperatures become extremely hot.
“We discussed that when I first got hired on,” Ball said. “The reason we don’t have that in the summer is in the winter your extreme temperatures are at nighttime and there are not a lot of places for people to go that are either homeless or transient, so that is why we do the shelters.”
Ball said there are multiple locations in Owensboro that individuals can go to seek relief from the heat during the day.
For those working outdoors, Ball it is critical that they take the time to stay hydrated, even if it means taking more breaks during the workday.
“Supervisors should definitely keep an eye on their personnel, and make sure they are drinking water,” he said. “If they lose a person to a heat-related injury, then that is a lot more time than they would have lost by letting them hydrate for a few minutes.”
Ball said it is also important for people to remember to bring their pets indoors or make sure they are in the shade, and also be aware if they have a small child with them in their vehicle.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism