CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Dangerous heat is forecast for Charlotte and across the Carolinas Friday and Saturday. That is why the WCNC Charlotte Weather team wants you to stay Weather Aware and take precautions against the scorching hot temperatures.
The dangerous heat is the combination of several factors, including a lack of rain, high temperatures, and chart-topping dew points. That latter factor may be the most important. Dew points indicate how much moisture the atmosphere can hold. When that value is high, such as it will be today, the atmosphere is able to retain a lot of moisture, which people commonly refer to as high humidity.
That dew point value gets added to the air temperature to produce the heat index. The heat index represents what the temperatures actually feel like to your body.
However, heat index is calculated for shady areas so it can feel even hotter in the direct sunlight.
RAISE YOUR WEATHER IQ: Understanding how heat index is calculated
With an air temperature of 93 degrees and a dew point value of 70 degrees, the air is going to feel like 102 degrees or possibly more on Friday.
To combat the heat, some schools, including Charlotte Mecklenburg School, are delaying high school football games into the later evening hours. Officials hope this will bring some relief to the players and fans. While this will help some, the temperature outside is going to feel like more than 90 degrees until nearly 10 p.m.
While children and the elderly are the most susceptible to heat-related illnesses, anyone can be affected by heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
Heatstroke: Warning signs
Many heat-related illnesses can be avoided. Prevention is key: spending time indoors (preferably in the air conditioning), taking breaks in the shade, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding the hottest part of the day. However, here are some distinguishing characteristics to keep in mind.
According to the CDC, heatstroke is a medical emergency. Here's what to look out for:
- A body temperature of 103 degrees or higher
- Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
- A fast, strong pulse
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Losing consciousness
If you or a loved one is suffering from heatstroke, you should call 911 immediately. Move the person to a cooler place and try to lower their body temperature with cool compresses or a cool bath. Key importance with heatstroke: do not give the person anything to drink.
Heat exhaustion: Warning signs
If you think someone is suffering from heat exhaustion, look for:
- Excessive sweating
- Cold, pale, and clammy skin
- A fast, weak pulse
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness or weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Fainting
Get the person to a cooler place and try to loosen their clothes. Put cool, wet cloths all over their body and get them into a cool bath. It’s also a good idea to sip water.
Although heat exhaustion is not a medical emergency, you should seek immediate medical treatment if the person begins to throw up, symptoms get worse, or the symptoms last longer than an hour.
Ways to stay cool
The best way to avoid the heat Friday will be to stay inside an air-conditioned building, if that is available to you. If you do not have air conditioning at home, you can consider visiting a publicly accessible building such as a library.
In addition to air conditioning, there are splash pads, community pools, and beaches.
Everyone should stay hydrated in order to provide the body with plenty of moisture to sweat out.
WCNC Charlotte’s Weather IQ YouTube channel gives detailed explainers from the WCNC Charlotte meteorologists to help you learn and understand weather, climate and science. Watch previous stories where you can raise your Weather IQ in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.