Late Summer Brings Extreme and Dangerous Heat

It may be late August, but parts of the country are just now experiencing their hottest stretch of weather this year.

Indianapolis hit 90 degrees on Monday afternoon, their first of the year. Typically, Indianapolis would record fourteen 90-degree days throughout the year. This is also the latest date that Indianapolis has recorded their first 90 degree day.

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Today also marks the seventh consecutive day that St. Louis has been under an excessive heat warning -- with heat indices values forecasted to reach to 110 degrees. On Monday, St. Louis topped out at 100 degrees, which was one degree from tying a 71-year record and the first time the city hit the triple digits this year. Interesting to note for St. Louis is that on average they experience their last 100-degree reading of the year on August 17, this year it was a week later.

While not many record high temperatures have been recorded, the humidity has been oppressive making this heat dangerous. The heat index is the temperature it feels like once relative humidity is factored in. Over the weekend, reports of heat indices exceeded 120 degrees in parts of the Florida panhandle. Monday's heat index values also soared past 110 degrees in parts of the Midwest.

The Northeast is getting a taste of the heat that has been spread across much of the south and Midwest over the last week. Afternoon temperatures today will reach the upper 80s for New York City, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. By Wednesday, temperatures will peak for the east topping out around 90 degrees. The forecasted high of 91 degrees in New York City for Wednesday will only be the 5th such day this year. An average year would see temperatures at or above 90 degrees on nearly 15 days.