Excessive Heat in Christian, Kentucky

A strong and very persistent high in the upper levels of the atmosphere was responsible for seven consecutive days of heat indices at or above 105 degrees. The high was centered over the Lower Ohio Valley for the first few days of the heat wave, then it shifted slightly southward and weakened. The summer as a whole was among the hottest on record. The heat index peaked mostly between 105 and 110 degrees at airport sites during each afternoon of the event. Heat indices during the early morning hours were mostly in the mid to upper 80's. There were at least 13 heat-related illnesses treated by hospitals in the Paducah area. Twenty-nine cases of heat exhaustion were treated in the Owensboro area, and seven cases in the Hopkinsville area.