The National Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Statement and Heat Advisory for today:
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
437 AM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012…ELEVATED FIRE DANGER TODAY…
ANOTHER DAY OF NEAR RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES AND LACK OF RAINFALL WILL LEAD TO AN ENHANCED POTENTIAL FOR FIRE IGNITION TODAY. RELATIVE HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY WITH VALUES IN THE 30 TO 45 PERCENT RANGE…ONLY HAVING A SLIGHTLY MODERATING EFFECT ON THE TINDER DRY FUELS AND DROUGHT- STRUCK VEGETATION. ANY FIRES THAT DO DEVELOP MAY NEED ADDED RESOURCES TO BRING THEM UNDER CONTROL. CONVECTION IS POSSIBLE TODAY WITH ADDITIONAL CHANCES INTO THE WEEKEND. HOWEVER…WIDESPREAD RAINFALL CHANCES APPEAR LIMITED.
OUTDOOR BURNING IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED AND MAY BE ILLEGAL IN MANY LOCATIONS. SEE YOUR LOCAL FIRE AGENCY FOR ANY ACTIVE BURN BANS AND MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.
And the Heat Advisory:
URGENT – WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
413 AM EDT FRI JUN 29 2012…NEAR RECORD HEAT ONCE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON…
.HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE UNSEASONABLY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION TODAY. LOCATIONS ALONG AND EAST OF A MONTICELLO INDIANA…TO WARSAW…TO HILLSDALE MICHIGAN LINE WILL SEE AFTERNOON HIGHS CLIMB INTO THE MIDDLE TO UPPER 90S. THIS COMBINED WITH HIGHER DEWPOINTS WILL RESULT IN HEAT INDICES OF 98 TO 104 IN MANY AREAS. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WHICH MAY BRING BRIEF RELIEF TO SOME AREAS.
…HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTHERN INDIANA HAS ISSUED A HEAT ADVISORY…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER…
* AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 90S AND HEAT INDEX VALUES FROM 98 TO 104 DEGREES THROUGH EARLY EVENING.
IMPACTS…
* VERY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL IMPACT OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES.
* LACK OF COOLING OVERNIGHT AND HOT TEMPERATURES YESTERDAY AND THIS AFTERNOON WILL CAUSE INCREASED HEAT STRESS ON THOSE WORKING OUTDOORS AND WITHOUT ADEQUATE COOLING METHODS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE…RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.
TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY…CALL 9 1 1.