The region is under an extreme heat warning as dangerously hot and humid conditions continue through Thursday.
Het index values as high as 109 degrees are possible Tuesday, June 30, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. The high temperature is expected to hit 97 degrees each day through Thursday, July 2.
Some relief is expected on Friday, when there is a chance of showers and the high is expected to rise to 94 degrees.
The weather alert comes as a significant heat dome builds, causing a heat wave in the Midwest and East Coast.
Low temperatures are only expected to dip into the 70s, offering little overnight relief.
Extreme heat warning issued for Cincinnati, NKY
The weather service has issued an extreme heat warning for the region through 8 p.m. Thursday.
The heat index, which is a combined measure of the temperature and humidity, is expected to exceed 105 degrees.
The risk of heat-related illnesses increases significantly under these conditions, especially for people outdoors for long periods.
“Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles,” the weather alert states. “Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes,” the weather alert states.
What is a heat dome?
Simply put, a heat dome is when hot air is trapped over a certain area. It can stay for days, or even weeks, according to National Geographic.
“When hot air attempts to rise it’s blocked by the high-pressure ridge. As it sinks, it compresses and grows steadily hotter, producing conditions of extreme heat near the surface over areas hundreds of miles in size.”
The result is extreme heat under the area under the “dome,” according to the Climate Reality Project. “It’s like a lid on a pot, trapping the hot air and preventing it from escaping.
“Heat domes can cause dangerously high temperatures that linger for days or even weeks, posing significant health risks,” the authors said.
“Weather inside these domes will typically be clear with nary much moisture available for cloud development, allowing the sun to cook the ground while free from obstructions,” according to Fox Weather.
“Combine the sun’s heating with the sinking air, and you get a double-whammy of warming that can many times bring near-record or record heat.”
What is the heat index?
The Heat Index or the “apparent temperature” is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature, according to the weather service.
The temperature feels hotter when the humidity is higher. When the body gets too hot, it begins to perspire or sweat to cool itself off. If the perspiration is not able to evaporate, the body cannot regulate its temperature.
When the moisture content in the air (relative humidity) is high, the rate of evaporation from the body decreases. So, we feel hotter when the humidity is high.
Detailed Cincinnati 7-day weather forecast
Tuesday: Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 95. Heat index values as high as 109. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon.
Tuesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 74. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Wednesday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Heat index values as high as 109. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Wednesday night: Clear, with a low around 74. Calm wind.
Thursday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 76.
Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 94. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 74.
Independence Day: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 74. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Sunday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 92. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Sunday night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 90. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Source: National Weather Service in Wilmington
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Extreme heat warning issued as heat index nears 109. See when relief arrives
Reporting by David Ferrara and Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By David Ferrara and Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
