Charlotte residents are facing a scorcher today, as the National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory in effect from noon to 8 PM EDT this evening. With heat index values soaring up to 105, the advisory is a call to the public to stay vigilant about the risks tied to high temperatures and humidity. The areas affected include Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, and Union counties, encompassing major cities such as Charlotte, Concord, and Monroe.
The advisory cautions that the combination of hot temperatures, and high humidity may lead to heat-related illnesses. The NWS has advised residents to “drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.” The forecast also notes a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 PM, but the main concern remains the oppressive heat throughout the day.
In addition to the heat advisory, the NWS warns of widely scattered thunderstorms that may develop this afternoon and evening, particularly in the mountains and foothills of the Carolinas and northeast Georgia. Alongside damaging wind gusts, the main hazard from any severe storms, the weather service warns of the potential for “locally heavy rainfall which may lead to localized flash flooding, mainly in low-lying, poor drainage, and urban areas.”…