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Excessive Heat Watch issued for all of Northeast Ohio this week

This week, it's going to be dangerously hot.

By: Katie McGraw

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and last updated

The heat wave starts today! Temperatures surge on Father's Day into the upper 80s and low 90s. The mercury continues to climb on Monday, with highs in the low to mid-90s. The 90s are then expected to linger for several days this week. It looks like this heat wave could last into next week or potentially the following Monday! Not only will it be hot, but it will be humid as well.

Dew points start to increase on Monday. Dew points represent the amount of moisture in the air. When the dew point temperatures gets to around 60 degrees, you begin to notice the stickiness in the air. As that number goes up, the more uncomfortable it becomes outside.

By Monday, it looks like the dew points across Northeast Ohio could climb into the upper 60s and low 70s. The high heat and high humidity mean it will feel even hotter than it actually is outside.

The "feels like temperature" or the heat index value is not a number made up by the news to try and sensationalize the heat. It is actually a scientific fact! The body cools itself by sweating; however, when there is more moisture in the air, it prevents your body from sweating effectively. Therefore, the body feels warmer when the humidity is higher.

Therefore, the National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch for every single community in Northeast Ohio due to prolonged dangerously hot conditions with heat index values in excess of 100 possible.

We spoke to Vice President of Emergency Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Bryan Baskin about how to stay safe during the upcoming week.

Staying safe during the heat wave

Heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events. Excessive heat is the leading weather-related killer in the United States. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

The watch is in effect from Monday morning through Friday evening. This will get updated to either a Heat Advisory or an Excessive Heat Warning. We will be sure to keep you in the loop.

Record-high temperatures are in jeopardy for much of this week as well.