Excessive Heat in Mccracken, Kentucky

A prolonged heat wave gripped most of western Kentucky for several days. From the 4th to the 8th, peak afternoon heat indices ranged from 103 to 119 degrees. The exception was the Owensboro and Henderson area, where the dangerous levels of heat lasted only from the 4th until the 6th. The hottest days in western Kentucky were the 5th and 6th, when the heat index peaked between 109 and 119 at all mesonet and airport sites. Local Paducah hospitals reported an increase in emergency room visits for heat-related illnesses. A couple of dozen heat illnesses were reported, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. A Salvation Army cooling center in Paducah reported an increase in visits. During this heat wave, a sprawling 500 mb high covered most of the southern states from the southern Plains to the southern Appalachian Mountains. Beneath this large 500 mb high, daily high temperatures frequently soared to near 100 degrees. Night-time temperatures were quite warm. Paducah set a daily record warm low temperature of 80 degrees on the 6th. Paducah achieved four straight days of 110-degree plus heat indices from July 5-8, which was the first occurrence of this since 1987.