Get ready for a heat waveGet ready for heat wave

Topeka Capital-Journal, The, Jun 23, 2009 by Phil Anderson

By Phil Anderson

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

Though it will come as little surprise and even less consolation to those who were out and about Monday night, the Topeka area topped the nation with a nearly suffocating 106-degree heat index at 8 p.m.

Think that was bad? Things were even hotter late in the afternoon, when the heat index was reported as high as 108 degrees.

The official high temperature in Topeka on Monday was 96 degrees, recorded at 3:31 p.m. But coupled with high relative humidity, which had dropped only to 42 percent by 2 p.m., it felt much hotter than that.

In fact, it was hot all day Monday in the capital city, from sunup to sundown.

How hot? Try 79 degrees at 6:53 a.m. with humidity in the 87 percent range.

If you are thinking it is a little early in the summer -- which only started Sunday -- for this kind of heat, you are correct.

Monday's high was 10 degrees hotter than the normal 86 for the date, and was five degrees shy of the record 101 degrees for June 22 set during the Dust Bowl days in 1933.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service office in Topeka say there is no letup in sight.

Much of the Midwest is under a dome of high pressure that doesn't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.

The result: a forecast for temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s for the next week in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Illinois.

"It's a pretty widespread heat for this early in the season," said meteorologist Sally Pavlow, of the National Weather Service office in Topeka. "We usually don't see heat like this until late July or August, so we're starting out a little early this year."

Here is what Topeka-area residents are looking at through the rest of the work week: today -- high 98, overnight low 75; Wednesday -- high 98, overnight low 74; Thursday -- high 94, overnight low 73; and Friday -- high 96, overnight low 73.

As the heat persists, area residents are being advised to drink plenty of water, avoid being in direct sunlight, find a cool place to stay during the peak heat hours and wear loose-fitting, white- colored clothing.

Some individuals who were overcome with heat on Monday sought help at area hospitals.

Kim Gronninger, spokeswoman for St. Francis Health Center, said several people came to the hospital's emergency department with heat- related illnesses.

Additionally, some people with underlying medical conditions that were "exacerbated" by the heat also came to the hospital for treatment, she said.

Phil Anderson can be reached

at (785) 295-1195

or phil.anderson@cjonline.com.