Dangerously high heat index in Charlotte on Saturday, National Weather Service warns
The Charlotte area again faces a dangerously high heat index level, the National Weather Service warned in a hazardous weather bulletin on Saturday.
“Hot temperatures well into the 90s will combine with humid conditions to produce heat index values of 100 to 105 this afternoon,” according to the alert issued at 6:30 a.m. by the NWS office in Greer, S.C.
“Limit outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day to avoid heat stress,” NWS meteorologists advised in the bulletin.
The heat index is what the temperature feels like when humidity levels and temperature are combined.
Charlotte could see a high temperature of 95 degrees Saturday afternoon, according to the latest NWS forecast at 10 a.m.
NWS forecasters also warned of afternoon and evening thunderstorms with potentially “gusty winds, heavy rainfall, and dangerous cloud-to-ground lighting.”
The chance of such storms at Charlotte’s airport Saturday is a negligible 20 percent, however, NWS forecasters said.
Charlotte can expect a 70 percent chance of showers Sunday night and an 80 percent chance of rain on Monday, according to the latest NWS forecast at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Saturday’s alerts came as areas well to the east of Charlotte prepared for Hurricane Isaias.
The Charlotte area could see some rain and a bit more breeze from the outer bands of the Category 1 hurricane, but should avoid the worst of the storm, the Observer previously reported.
This story was originally published August 1, 2020 at 10:35 AM.