Late July Heat Wave Impacts Hennepin County

The Twin Cities National Weather Service had issued an Excessive Heat Warning for Hennepin County the end of July. What does this mean? High temperatures and humidity caused the heat index values to creep towards 100° F, with little chance for cooling in the evenings. This can be dangerous for people without air conditioning, outside doing physical activity or for extended periods, and in upper levels brick buildings and urban areas.

During extreme heat, always make sure to drink plenty of fluids, stay in cool buildings or in the shade, reschedule outdoor events, wear lightweight and loose fitting clothes, and check up on your neighbors. If you or someone you are with are experiencing symptoms of heat stroke, call 911 and seek medical attention immediately. Above is a graphic illustrating symptoms of heat stroke from the National Weather Service.

As a reminder: NEVER leave any person or pet in a unattended car. Temperatures rise very quickly in a car in the heat, causing it to act as an oven and becomes life-threatening to anyone inside within minutes. Always check the back seat and make sure all passengers are out.

The image above shows the Hennepin West Mesonet map with the heat index (left) and the current air temperature (right) on July 26, 2023. Heat index is the combination of heat and humidity, and outputs the temperature the body could experience. This can be found by going to "Customized", select the "Temperature" category, and then select "Current Heat Index" and "Current Air Temperature" maps. This tool is always available for anyone in the county. When dealing with the heat index, it really is the heat AND the humidity.