A heat dome building over the eastern United States promises to reach the Mansfield area by the end of the month.
Richland County could set a record high temperature June 30, said Alex Kennedy, a meteorologist who works in the Cleveland office of the National Weather Service.
“The record we have for Mansfield is 94 degrees on June 30,” Kennedy said. “So it will be fairly close.”
Temperatures throughout North Central Ohio are forecast to reach the mid-90s nearly every afternoon from June 27 to July 4. The warmest day, June 30, could hit 97.
“For some areas, the heat index might eclipse 100 degrees,” Kennedy said. “The air temperature itself will probably be in the mid-90s.”
Heat dome could last several days
Heat domes, which are areas of high pressure, tend to push away storms and linger for several days.
The ridges of atmospheric pressure can stretch nearly 1,000 miles, USA Today reported. Some people call them “death ridges.”
“It’s just going to hang out over the eastern United States,” Kennedy said.
Like a lid over a frying pan, the dome will create high heat that could lead to drought and even wildfires.
“There’s a lot of warm, moist air that is going to be pulled up from the south,” Kennedy said. “That’s why it’s going to be a lot hotter up here, because we’re pulling in a lot of that moist air from the gulf.”
The intense heat is forecast to blanket the Buckeye State into July.
“It will probably cool down toward the end of next week, probably after the July Fourth weekend,” Kennedy said. “After July Fourth, it will still be warm because of summer, but not quite as hot.”
Avoid heat illness on hot summer days
Heat-related injuries occur over time in patients, gradually becoming more severe the longer they are left untreated.
Heat exhaustion is the first stage of heat illnesses. Most patients tend to get clammy, cool skin. Some become irritable.
If those conditions persist for longer than an hour, the patient’s status will progress along the continuum of heat illness toward heat stroke.
Concerns of organ damage will escalate as the body’s temperature reaches new heights and more fluids and electrolytes are lost.
Heat stroke is often declared when a person’s core body temperature climbs to 103 degrees. Patients with the condition can develop ataxia, which is a display of imbalance or lack of coordination, as well as uncontrolled muscle movement, confusion, seizures and delirium.
To avoid heat illness:
Contact Zach Tuggle at 419-564-3508. Follow him on X at @zachtuggle.
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Richland County could set new record high temperature with heat dome
Reporting by Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Tuggle, Mansfield News Journal | USA TODAY Network
