It's a burner out there, and we're not talking about a hot grill for birthday hamburgers and hot dogs
If you haven’t heard about the heat, you must have spent the last few days locked in a restaurant refrigerator.
It’s a stinker out there.
And according to the National Weather Service’s Friday morning webinar, you can expect it to stay that way for a few days.
The agency is even saying this might be the most brutal heat wave the region has experienced in quite a while.
Forecasters from the Wakefield office - which oversees a region from southern-mosts Maryland, to east of I-95, south to Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks - said the region is in an extreme heat warning through parts of Monday.
Just how close you are to the ocean will influence just how hot it gets.
But temperatures were already around 90 degrees at the start of the 10 a.m. conference call.
Heat indexes were forecast for between 105 and 110 degrees along the coast and hotter the more west you go.
While afternoon and evening thunderstorm chances are pretty unlikely for today, the odds increase Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
Temperatures are forecast to drop into the upper 80s starting Tuesday.
Much of the emphasis revolves around something called the wet-bulb globe temperature - a weather term started in the 1950s as part of an effort to reduce heat-related illnesses and deaths. It uses a combination of temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation and is meant to help protect both humans and animals.
“It’s just very hot and very humid for the next couple of days,” the service said Friday.
Forecasters also said that the heat and humidity will spawn “very unsettled weather” in the afternoon and evening through the middle of next week.
It is suggested that folks stay in air conditioned locations as much as possible and take multiple breaks when they have to work outside.
Lots of water and rehydrating liquid are pretty much a must-do thing.
If you’re planning on being on your boat for firework shows or for some fishing, a good way to rinse off after taking a dip is essential. When salt dries up, it gets crusty and can make the heat that much worse.
And speaking of fireworks, the region continues to be in an extreme drought and shooting off explosives is a sure way to start fires.
Aside from all that, make sure to check on the elderly during heat waves like this one and take special care of you pets.
Summer is a wonderful thing - especially during a weekend where our country celebrates its 250th birthday.
But this kind of heat wave is no joke.
