Code Red heat advisory activated
Meteorologists say the heat index could reach a high of 105 degrees.
By MEGAN TROTTER
TribLive
Allegheny County has activated a Code Red heat advisory for the beginning of next week, as meteorologists forecast temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal for this time of year.
The advisory will be in effect from Monday through Wednesday.
The activation follows guidance from the National Weather Service and national Centers for Disease Control’s HeatRisk tool, which evaluates the intensity and duration of the heat and the associated health dangers.
The HeatRisk tool showed the risk of heat-related impacts forecasted as moderate on Monday, major on Tuesday and extreme on Wednesday.
Jason Frazier, a National Weather Service meteorologist, said the heat index, which is a measure of how hot it feels to the human body when air temperature and humidity are combined, are forecasted to reach 105 degrees on Wednesday.
Actual high temperatures are forecasted to range between 87 to 89 degrees Monday, 92 to 94 degrees Tuesday and 95 to 97 degrees on Wednesday, Frazier said. Lows are expected to be in the 70s.
“We try to highlight with these sort of periods, where we get these hot temperatures, is that just as concerning is not just how warm it gets during the afternoons, but how little sometimes we cool off during the overnight periods,” Frazier said.
During the heat advisory, the Allegheny County De- partment of Human Services and partner agencies will check on older adults and have outreach services such as home-delivered meal drivers and care management workers.
Senior centers will continue operating on their regular schedules and to provide a cool place for community members seeking relief.
Street outreach teams will also connect with people experiencing unsheltered homelessness and provide water and cooling supplies.
The county is directing unhoused adults to go to Second Avenue Commons, every day, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Families experiencing housing instability should call the Allegheny Link (1-866-730-2368).
County pools and spray parks are open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., as weather permits.
Frazier said, while the HeatRisk Tool has forecast extreme temperatures, the National Weather Service has not yet issued a heat advisory of its own due to the possibility of weather patterns changing. Heat advisories are issued when the heat index is above 100 degrees.
Frazier said possible thunderstorms starting Wednesday and Thursday could cause the heat index to dip below 100 degrees.
Allegheny County Emergency Services reminds residents that heat is the leading weather-related cause of death nationwide.
EMS is directing residents to: stay hydrated and drink plenty of water, limit time outdoors, never leave kids or pets in a car and to check on elderly neighbors or people without air conditioning.
