An extremely hot Saturday underway
Temperatures in the Lowcountry are shooting through the roof at this hour. The National Weather Service passes along this unofficial list of heat indices measured through 11:15 AM (yes, just 11:15 AM!):
…SOUTHEAST SOUTH CAROLINA…
WITHERBEE /RAWS SENSOR/…………….. 112
SAVANNAH NATL WILDLIFE REFUGE /RAWS/…. 110
KIAWAH ISLAND……………………… 108
BLUFFTON………………………….. 106
WEST ASHLEY……………………….. 106
HILTON HEAD……………………….. 104
MONKS CORNER AIRPORT /KMKS/…………. 102
CHARLESTON AIRPORT /KCHS/…………… 102
HARLEYVILLE……………………….. 101
Undoubtedly we’ll see these numbers continue to climb throughout the day. A heat advisory is in effect until 8 PM, which means that heat indices are forecast to reach 105-110 degrees — and we’re over that in a few spots already. Keep in mind that the heat index is measured in the shade, so direct exposure to sunlight could increase that number by as much as 15 degrees.
Today’s a good day to stay in the shade, drink plenty of fluids (but avoid alcohol or caffeine as that can dehydrate you), and stay in an air-conditioned place if all possible. Be sure to check up on your elderly neighbors, too.
If you’re looking for relief from rain, chances aren’t looking so good for that, either, as the warm air is prevalent across most of the atmosphere over Charleston. This inhibits thunderstorm development because you need cooler air for the droplets to condense and kick off those storms.
Stay cool out there! We’ll update again later on this evening with the final totals.