Heat index of 114 Saturday! Heatwave endures as temperatures expected to soar even higher

Lori Steineck, The News Herald
·3 min read

PANAMA CITY — Sweat poured from local construction crewmen braving the hot sun Friday morning at Beach Drive and Hurt Street, working to finish five miles of water and sewer pipe installation.

"This is fall out/pass out weather," said crewman Quan Chisolm, wiping his forehead.

Chase Richardson, his co-worker, agreed, saying if it gets any hotter this weekend, "I'm going to be in the creek with a beer in my hand."

The Binnix family brought the family dogs, Sunday and Sacha, to the water along Beach Drive on Friday to cool off. Lainey Binnix enjoys the attention from Sunday, left, and Sacha after the pair retrieved a floating stick in the water.
The Binnix family brought the family dogs, Sunday and Sacha, to the water along Beach Drive on Friday to cool off. Lainey Binnix enjoys the attention from Sunday, left, and Sacha after the pair retrieved a floating stick in the water.

Well, it's going to get hotter. Unusually hotter, according to forecasters.

With temps rising into the upper 90s and nearing 100 degrees, "It could be even hotter at the end of next week," said Mark Wool, meteorologist with the Tallahassee office of the National Weather Service. "We are pretty confident that it's going to be that hot."

More heat on the way, forecasters say

According to Wool, it's not only the hotter-than-normal temps that are cause for concern, "it's the length" of the heatwave — for Tallahassee and for the Panama City area where temperatures tend to be slightly cooler.

The Bay County Department of Health and Emergency Operations Division issued a news release this week advising people to prepare for the extreme heat with "simple changes in your fluid intake, activities, and clothing during hot weather.

"Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States in most years. Heat-related illnesses can affect anyone subjected to high temperatures for prolonged periods of time," Sandon S. Speedling, administrator and health officer for the Florida Department of Health in Bay County, said in the release.

The weather service has been issuing heat advisories for several days.

Heat advisories expected

"Much of the central and southern United States are involved in this heatwave in one way or another," Wool said. "We have heat advisories from Kansas all the way southeast through Florida and the Carolinas."

Ed Binnix watches as his dogs, Sunday and Sacha, swim to his daughter, Lainey, after retrieving a floating stick in the water along Beach Drive on Friday.
Ed Binnix watches as his dogs, Sunday and Sacha, swim to his daughter, Lainey, after retrieving a floating stick in the water along Beach Drive on Friday.

But the advisory issued at 4:53 a.m. Friday for the Florida Panhandle notes "heat index values up to 113 (degrees)." The advisory is in effect from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday.

By noon Friday, the weather service website already was showing a reading for Panama City Beach at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport at 88 degrees with a heat index of 98 degrees.

The forecast called for an expected heat index for Saturday in Panama City at 112 degrees and, at Panama City Beach, 114 degrees, the web site showed.

While not quite Death Valley — deemed the nation's hottest spot where the actual temperature soared to 130 degrees Friday — it will be undeniably hot here.

How hot will it get?

The record high for the Tallahassee area was 105 degrees set on June 15, 2011, Wool said, adding, "There's at least a possibility it will reach or exceed that next week." Wool said he could not provide a reliable record-high for the Panama City area.

The temperature for Tallahassee on Friday is expected to reach 100 degrees while Panama City can expect a daytime high in the upper 90s and the beach just a few degrees below. Wool added, however, that the Panama City Beach area will see higher humidity.

"The sea breeze is what saves the immediate coastline. The ocean is cooler than the land and, during the day, that's what drives the winds," Wool said, adding, "It'll be hotter in town."

Heat illness warning signs/how to stay cool

The news release from the county emergency operations division and the health department listed warning signs for recognizing heat related illness and tips to help people stay cool:

Tips to stay cool:

  • Stay hydrated with water; avoid sugary, caffeinated and alcoholic beverages

  • Wear lightweight, light colored and loose-fitting clothing

  • Stay cool in an air-conditioned area

  • Avoid engaging in strenuous activities during peak hours

  • Take a cool shower or bath

  • Stay tuned in to local weather reports

Warning signs for heat related illness:

  • Extremely high body temperature (above 103ºF)

  • Weakness, dizziness or fainting

  • Unusually elevated heart rate

  • Fast and shallow breathing

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Muscle cramps

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Bay County heatwave to include even higher temps, forecasters say