An excessive heat warning is in effect until Thursday night for Howell and surrounding counties in Missouri, and Sharp County in Arkansas.
The warning was issued by the National Weather Service offices in Springfield and Little Rock, ARk., early Tuesday morning, following a heat advisory issued Monday for the same area, as well as Baxter, Fulton and Izard counties in Arkansas. Those three counties remain under an advisory as their temperatures are not expected to be quite as high.
According to the NWS Springfield office, the excessive heat warning is in place until midnight Thursday due to dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 110 degrees. In addition to the local area, parts of southeast Kansas and central and southern Missouri are included in the warning area.
The high temperature today and Thursday are forecast to be about 101 degrees in West Plains, just under the record highs set for those days in 2012 of 104 and 102 degrees, respectively. Today’s heat index is expected to be as high as 106 degrees, and the NWS has not yet indicated what it may feel like on Thursday. Overnight temperatures both evening are expected to be in the mid-70s.
“Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities,” weather officials caution. It is recommended to drink plenty of fluids, keep in an air-conditioned room and stay out of the sun, and check on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances, they add.
Those working outdoors are urged to take extra precautions and, if possible, schedule strenuous activities for early morning or evening hours when it is cooler outside. To reduce risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, wear loose, lightweight clothing and heed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommendation to take frequent rest breaks in the shade or air-conditioning.
Anyone suffering from heat related illnesses should be moved to a cool and shaded location, and if heat stroke is suspected, call 911 immediately.
The temperature in West Plains is expected to drop slightly Friday to 99 degrees during the day and 71 degrees that night; in addition, there is a 30% chance of thunderstorms after 1 p.m., according to the NWS. A chance of storms is also possible overnight into Saturday, and after 1 p.m. Saturday.
Saturday and Sunday look to be cooler still, with the daytime high possibly peaking at 92, and overnight low dropping to the upper 60s.
COOLING CENTERS
Anyone in need of cool shelter during this heat wave may take advantage of several area cooling centers listed on the State of Missouri Cooling Centers Map. Senior centers in Mtn. View and Willow Springs are open from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays; visit the Mtn. View center at 903 E. Fifth St. and the Willow Springs center at 501 Senior Center Lane in those respective communities.
The West Plains Senior Center, 416 E. Main St., is typically open during the same hours but is expected to be closed while the city of West Plains boil advisory remains in effect. For more information about the advisory, see the related article on Page 1 of today’s Quill. To find out whether the center is open, call 417-256-4055.
The Howell County Health Department, 180 S. Kentucky Ave., is also listed as a cooling center; it is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Other area cooling centers listed include the Douglas County Public Library, 301 SW Third Ave., Ava, business hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays; Ozark County Senior Center 516 County Road 800, Gainesville, hours 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. weekdays; and both Oregon County Health Department locations, 201 Market St. in Thayer from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays with lunchtime closures at noon, and 4 Court Square in Alton during the same hours Mondays through Fridays.
In Shannon County, patrons in need of cooling can go to the Shannon County Health Center, 18018 Grey Jones Drive in Eminence from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, and in Texas County, visit the health department at 950 N. U.S. 63 in Houston between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays.
