Weather blog: What are the new criteria for a heat advisory?

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We are officially in the dog days of summer and temperatures are on the rise.

On June 24, North Augusta reached 104°, Fort Eisenhower102° and Augusta (Daniel Field) 101°.

Heat is the No. 1 weather-related cause of death according to the CDC and dangerous heat is on the rise.

When temperatures get this high it is common to see heat-related illnesses rise. The National Weather Service issues Heat Advisories to help inform the public when dangerous and potentially life-threatening heat will impact our area. This year the NWS office in Columbia South Carolina has revised their criteria when it comes to issuing Heat Advisories and Heat Warnings.

When heat index values are between 108° and 112° for two or more hours a Heat Advisory will be issued.

An Excessive Heat Watch/Warning will be issued when heat index values reach 113° or higher for two or more hours.

heat index value is what the air actually feels like. The heat index value factors in humidity and wind. To learn more about heat index values check out this weather blog.

Slightly higher index values are required for Bamberg, Jenkins, Screven, and Allendale, due to those counties being covered by the National Weather Service in Charleston. Heat indices between 100° and 114° for more than two hours will trigger a Heat Advisory.

The National Weather Service has started “NWS HeatRisk” - a new index to forecast heat-related impacts. According to the NWS, “HeatRisk takes into :

How unusual the heat is for the time of the year
The duration of the heat including both daytime and nighttime temperatures
If those temperatures pose an elevated risk of heat-related impacts based on data from the CDC

Highs near 100 for the last week of June - which translates to a major risk this time of year!