High temperatures in the mid 80 to low 90s will seem like a breeze on Wednesday when compared to the searing heat that is expected in part of Southern New England on Thursday. The wind will shift from southerly on Wednesday to west or west-southwest on Thursday, and that will open the door to the hottest weather of the summer in part of RI, CT, and SE MA. High temperatures will be in the mid to upper 90s, and the dew point will be near 70, making it feel like 100-105° in interior CT, inland RI and most of Bristol/Plymouth Counties in MA. The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch in those areas.
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 404 AM EDT WED JUL 17 2013 ...CONDITIONS GRADUALLY BECOME MORE HOT AND HUMID EACH DAY... .A GRADUALLY MODIFYING AIRMASS AND INCREASING MOISTURE WILL YIELD GRADUALLY INCREASING HEAT INDICES EACH DAY THROUGH THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK. CTZ002>004-MAZ017-018-020-021-RIZ001-002-171615- /O.NEW.KBOX.EH.A.0001.130718T1500Z-130718T2300Z/ /O.CON.KBOX.HT.Y.0007.130717T1500Z-130717T2300Z/ HARTFORD CT-TOLLAND CT-WINDHAM CT-NORTHERN BRISTOL MA- WESTERN PLYMOUTH MA-SOUTHERN BRISTOL MA-SOUTHERN PLYMOUTH MA- NORTHWEST PROVIDENCE RI-SOUTHEAST PROVIDENCE RI- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...HARTFORD...WINDSOR LOCKS...UNION... VERNON...PUTNAM...WILLIMANTIC...TAUNTON...BROCKTON...FALL RIVER... NEW BEDFORD...MATTAPOISETT...FOSTER...SMITHFIELD...PROVIDENCE 404 AM EDT WED JUL 17 2013 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EDT THIS EVENING... ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON HAS ISSUED AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. * LOCATION...NORTHERN CONNECTICUT...NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS. * HEAT INDEX VALUES...AROUND 100 TODAY. WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR 105 OR HIGHER ON THURSDAY. * TIMING...LATE THIS MORNING INTO THE EVENING FOR THE HEAT ADVISORY. THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE DAY THURSDAY. * IMPACTS...THOSE OUTDOORS FOR PROLONGED PERIODS WILL BE MORE AT RISK FOR HEAT-RELATED ILLNESSES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER. TRY TO SPEND TIME IN AIR CONDITIONING. 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. AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH MEANS THAT DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED...WITH HEAT INDICES OF 105 DEGREES OR GREATER. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE POSSIBLE. DURING OPPRESSIVE HEAT AND HUMIDITY...AVOID PROLONGED EXPOSURE IN THE SUN...DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...TRY TO STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENT...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.