Community Corner

Heat, Humidity Take Aim at Mendota Heights Area This Week

A heat advisory is in effect for the Twin Cities, including Mendota Heights.

Original post by Associate Regional Editor Mike Schoemer.

Update, 6:20 p.m. Tuesday: Mendota Heights is in a heat advisory until 9 p.m. Thursday, according to the National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen.

"The prolonged hot and humid conditions will lead to a heightened risk of heat-related stress and illness, especially for the young and elderly and those without air conditioning," according to the NWS.

***

Remember complaining about those cooler temps in May and June?

Summer's "dog days" may be arriving this week, as humidity and heat will reign over Mendota Heights and the surrounding area for a few days this week. 

The warm conditions arrived Monday, when the mercury climbed to 88 degrees as of 7:30 p.m.

Dewpoints (the measure of moisture in air relative to temperature) will rise from 64 to above 70. 

As a reference, dew points in the 70s are normally seen in more tropical areas, such as South America. 

The National Weather Service said heat combined with Gulf of Mexico air and its corresponding moisture will make dangerous conditions for those without air conditioning on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Temps will rise into the 90s, pushing heat indices (what it feels like outside) to more than 100 degrees Tuesday and Wednesday. 

Excessive heat warnings have not been issued yet, but are likely for Wednesday, according to the NWS office in Chanhassen.

Relief may come Wednesday night and Thursday with thundershowers. 

Patch will keep you posted on the likelihood of severe weather and severe heat this week. 

In the meantime, the NWS offers these heat safety tips, including: 

Recognizing Heat-Related Illness

During extremely hot and humid weather the body's ability to cool itself is affected. When the body heats too rapidly to cool itself properly, or when too much fluid or salt is lost through dehydration or sweating, body temperature rises and heat-related illnesses may develop.

Heat-related illnesses can range from heat cramps to heat exhaustion to more serious heat stroke. Heat stroke can result in death and requires immediate medical attention.

Factors or conditions that can make some people more susceptible to heat-related illnesses include age (older adults and young children), obesity, fever, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, prescription drug and alcohol use, and sunburn. Sunburn, caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun, can significantly retard the skin's ability to shed excess heat.

Find out what's happening in Mendota Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

How Fast Can the Sun Heat a Car?

The sun's shortwave radiation (yellow in figure below) heats objects that it strikes.  For example, a dark dashboard or seat can easily reach temperatures in the range of 180 to over 200°F. These objects (e.g., dashboard, steering wheel, child seat) heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off longwave radiation (red in figure below) which is very efficient at warming the air trapped inside a vehicle.

Shown below are time lapse photos of thermometer readings in a car over a period of less than an hour. As the animation shows, in just over 2 minutes the car went from a safe temperature to an unsafe temperature of 94.3°F. This demonstration shows just how quickly a vehicle can become a death trap for a child.

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