Dangerous Heat Expected Across Louisiana Through The Weekend
Ahh September, you step out of the front door and immediately your senses are engaged with a cool fresh breeze, the crackle of fallen leaves beneath your feet, and maybe the smell of smoke from someone's chimney. Okay, that's September somewhere but not here in South Louisiana.
Our September scenario is more like this. Step out of the front door into what feels like a pre-heated oven, hear the stringy squish of sneakers melting on the asphalt, and that smoke, it's probably from someone's lawn that has simply burst into flames because of it being so hot.
While we kid about the heat, it really is no laughing matter. Weather forecasters are warning us to warn you about dangerous heat across much of the state for the next several days.
For today, it appears as if the worst of the heat will be east of the Atchafalaya Basin. That part of the state is under a heat advisory already. Here, closer to home, we can expect temperatures to top out in the middle to the upper 90-degree range today, tomorrow, and on Saturday. Our heat index values today will likely be above 100 degrees too.
My guess is that at some time over the next few days the entire I-10 corridor will be involved in a heat advisory or excessive heat warning. What that means is you need to be cognizant of the heat and how your exposure to it can affect your health.
We all know about drinking a lot of water and taking breaks from working in the sun. But remember there are other dangers lurking on hot days. For example, the water coming out of your garden hose can be extremely hot and dangerous for children and pets. Car seats can burn the skin on the back of your legs if you're wearing shorts. Electronic gear and gadgets can literally melt inside a hot automobile as well.
So, there are plenty of reasons to take this heatwave very seriously. Just remember how hot it is today when we finally get that first cold front through later this month. Then we can all experience that September morning I described at the beginning of this narrative.