Dangerous heat likely over Fourth of July weekend

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Very hot temperatures are on tap for the Fourth of July weekend. 

Temperatures are expected to climb into the mid-90s by Saturday and into the upper 90s by Sunday and Monday.

“Saturday is when you’ll really feel the difference,” Storm Team 2 meteorologist Josh Marthers said. “And then Sunday and Monday will be the worst.”

Although actual temperatures are unlikely to hit triple-digits, heat index values could reach upwards of 115 degrees on Sunday and Monday in some areas around the Lowcountry.

Those temperatures are well above normal for this time of year, Marthers said.

On Tuesday, July 4, Storm Team 2 predicts temperatures will be in the mid-90s, but there will be ample cloud coverage and a slightly increased chance of rain.

Marthers warns people should not let their guard down, however, as it could still feel close to 105 degrees outside.

“That’s why even on the Fourth of July, let’s say it steps down a little bit, it may indeed end up being worse for most of us because that’s the day we’re all going to be out doing things,” he explained.

Heat index — or apparent temperature — is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with air temperature.  

When the body gets too hot, it begins to sweat to cool itself off. But, if the sweat does not evaporate because the air is too sticky then the body cannot regulate its temperature.

“If dew points are in the 70s, which is what we are going to have this weekend, your body cannot eliminate that moisture through evaporation,” Marthers said. “So it raises your body temperature and it makes you feel like you would if it’s 105 or 110.”

Heat exhaustion occurs when your body loses excessive amounts of water and salt, typically from sweating, according to experts. Common symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, headache, nausea, weakness, muscle cramp, fatigue, and change in mental state such as confusion or delirium.

If you’re ever confused if someone is having heat exhaustion or heat stroke, one of the main things you can notice is… all the signs of heat exhaustion, but they’re not sweating,” Storm Team 2 Meteorologist Jed Cristoph said. “If they’re not able to sweat then their body is not working.”

Anyone suffering from a heat stroke should immediately seek emergency medical treatment.