Hottest temperatures in four years possible as Kansas City braces for heat wave
Brace yourself Kansas City — temperatures could reach levels that haven’t been seen in four years as the metro area begins a heat wave that could run through the end of July.
The last time Kansas City saw weather this hot was July 12, 2018, when temperatures reached 100 degrees. That’s a stretch of 1,467 days with temperatures below 100 degrees, according to data from NOAA’s Regional Climate Centers.
There will be several chances the next several days for triple-digit heat, with the first chance coming Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service in Kansas City.
Temperatures on Tuesday are expected to be between 95 to 101 degrees in the Kansas City area, with the cooler temperatures limited to areas north and east of the metro.
The heat index indicates that the humidity will make it feel much warmer — between 100 to 107 degrees.
The normal temperature for this time of year in Kansas City is the upper 80s.
Heat advisory in effect for KC
The weather service has issued a heat advisory for the Kansas City region that is in effect from 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The hot and humid conditions may lead to heat-related illnesses.
The weather service is urging people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors.
“Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances,” the weather service said.
The weather service said on Twitter that this would be a good week to keep pet indoors.
Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe
Tuesday’s temperatures are expected to among the hottest about the 4:30 p.m. showtime of the Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe concert at Kauffman Stadium. Also performing will be Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts.
The Mid-America Regional Council has issued an orange Air Quality Alert for Tuesday, saying that an unhealthy level of ground-level is expected.
People and businesses are urged to avoid activities which lead to the formation of ozone, which includes refueling vehicles, idling vehicles unnecessarily and using gasoline powered lawn equipment.
Electrical power expected to be sufficient
There should be sufficient power to meet anticipated demand as forecasts call for multiple days with temperatures near or at 100 degrees, Evergy said in a news release.
“Our system is reliable. We have had relatively few outages this summer related to the extreme heat, and we are not seeing an increased number of outages,” Chuck Caisley senior vice president and chief customer officer said in the release.
The utility company said there has been no appeal to conserve electricity.
People should expect the heat to continue at least for the rest of the week and into next week. Overnight temperature are expected to be in the 70s and low 80s, which won’t provide relief from the heat.
“We may need to settle in for the long haul as above normal temperatures are expected to continue through the rest of the month,” the weather service said on Twitter. “And, it really doesn’t matter where you are in the continental US!”
This story was originally published July 19, 2022 at 8:13 AM.
