KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For the next few days, people in East Tennessee can expect to swelter. Temperatures are expected to rise to near-record highs, and the air quality in the region may worsen from Wednesday through Friday.
While temperatures are expected to rise, the heat is expected to stay mostly dry on Wednesday. As a result, it is not likely the National Weather Service will issue a formal alert. However, heat indexes can reach dangerously high levels as humidity increases later on in the week.
People should make sure to stay hydrated through the rest of the week. If they start feeling any symptoms of heat-related illness, such as headaches, confusion or nausea, they should find somewhere cool to rest and reach out for help.
When will the weather impact me the most?
Temperatures are expected to reach peak heights during the late afternoon hours on each day, from 2 p.m. through 8 p.m. Due to air quality concerns, people may also see a haze in the area while also sweating from high temperatures.
Temperatures are expected to reach records set as far back as 1936. Wednesday is expected to be around 96 degrees, and the record for the day was set in 1936 at 98 degrees. The following day, it's expected to be the same temperature. The record for that day was set in 1948 at 102 degrees. On Friday, it's expected to cool slightly to 94 degrees, coming within two degrees of the 1995 record.
Heat indexes are expected to be higher, peaking on Friday at 102 degrees. At that temperature, it is dangerous for people to spend a lot of time outside without proper hydration and chances to relax and cool down.
Wednesday is expected to be a mostly "dry" heat, but Thursday is expected to have increasing humidity. That humidity is expected to drive an increase in the heat index. Friday is expected to be muggy, with incoming showers and storms that may hit East Tennessee that night.
How can the weather impact me?
Signs of heat-related illness include headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion and a fast, strong pulse. Anyone experiencing these kinds of symptoms while out and about should immediately find a place to cool down and drink some water. If symptoms are severe enough, they should also call for help.
People should also try to cool down if they start feeling a weak but fast pulse, if they start vomiting, or if they start feeling muscle cramps. Those are signs of heat exhaustion.
Carry water, seek shade and stay cool during the next few days as temperatures rise in East Tennessee.
