Keep that sunscreen handy. And the bottled water. The temperatures in the greater Clarksville, and most of the Midwest and South, are expected to climb in the low 100s today, and sit there for several days.
Today’s high should hit 101, and tomorrow the mercury could top 104 degrees — not counting the “feels like” heat index or the impact of heat island warming in inner cities and areas with a lot of paved surfaces.
The century numbers are not expected to abate until Friday, but forecasters warn it won’t be that big of a change, since temps will “dip back” only t the upper 90s for the weekend.
Stay indoors in air-conditioning, drink plenty of liquids, and restrict any exercise to early morning or late evening, what will be the coolest part of these hot and humid days. Be aware of symptoms for heat stroke and heat exhaustion, check on neighbors (especially the elderly), and remember to keep your pets in a cool location and provide plenty of fresh water for them.
Meanwhile, the hurricane season, which has so far been slow, is starting to rev up. Forecasters are eyeing a developing system in the Atlantic that may become “Dean,” and hurricane hunters will check out a second developing system, this one in the Gulf of Mexico, which could impact the waterlogged west Texas coast in a few days.