By Jessica Rudnick and Andrea Wagner et.al
The first heat wave of the summer hit the Midwest earlier than usual this week, with a heat index forecast of up to 105 degrees, pushing many indoors to stay cool. All those air conditioning units running almost nonstop put pressure on the electrical grid and increase the risk of power outages. Take steps to stay safe and reduce the demand for electricity with resources from University of Illinois Extension.
More than 120 million Americans were under an extreme heat advisory or heat warning as of June 24, according to the NOAA National Weather Service. The heat index, humidity combined with the temperature, is expected to reach record daytime highs of 100 to 105 degrees with overnight temperatures of 75 to 85 degrees.
“There is a high-pressure weather system sitting over the Midwest and eastern part of the U.S. referred to as a heat dome, which is causing the excessive heat and minimizing wind and cloud cover,” said Jessica Rudnick, Illinois Extension climate resilience specialist. “These heat domes push warm air toward the ground, where it warms up more as it is further compressed and begins to feel hotter.”