No break in September’s heat wave

With the official start off the fall season less than a week away, there’s still no break in the heat wave gripping much of the southeast.

September averages in central Mississippi generally top out around 85 degrees in September. Instead, we’re seeing record-setting heat near 100 degrees in many cities. Last week, a woman died while mowing her lawn in Winston County. Her body temperature was around 105 degrees.

Tomorrow’s forecast for Vicksburg calls for a high temperature of 99 degrees, and the heat is expected to remain for at least another two weeks. The Weather Channel’s 10-day forecast predicts hot, dry weather through the end of the month, with temperatures of 90 degrees and higher until the 29th.

Last week, Atlanta set daily temperature records from Tuesday through Friday with temperatures in the upper 90s, reports AccuWeather. Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tenn.; Montgomery, Ala., as well as Macon and Columbus, Ga., have all broken multiple daily high temperature records this past week as well.

Look for more records to be broken this week.

If you must be outdoors, be sure to wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, drink plenty of fluids and avoid high-energy activities. For more information on staying safe during extreme heat, visit www.ready.gov/heat.