New Castle County heat advisory issued

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for New Castle County on Wednesday as intense heat will hit the region on Thursday.

The heat advisory will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday and last until 8 p.m. Friday.

“It’s going to be hot and humid with heat indexes above 100,” Mike Gorse, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly, New Jersey, office, said. “It’s through Friday, but it may need to be extended through Saturday.”

Kent and Sussex counties aren’t under the heat advisory, but that could change.

“We will re-evaluate it later today, but the criteria are higher as you go south,” Gorse said.

What are heat advisories?

There are four advisories for heat, according to the National Weather Service:

• Excessive heat outlooks: The outlooks are issued when the potential exists for excessive heat within the next three to seven days. It gives people time to prepare for the weather.
• Heat advisory: A heat advisory is issued within 12 hours of extreme heat conditions. Typically, the heat index will be above 100 degrees and the nighttime air temperature will not drop below 75 degrees. However, the criteria are different for different areas.
• Excessive heat watch: Heat watches are issued when conditions are favorable for excessive heat in the next 24 to 72 hours.
• Excessive heat warning: The warning is issued within 12 hours of the onset of extremely dangerous heat conditions.

How to remain safe in the heat

With the extreme temperatures, here are some ways to stay safe.

• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Stay in an air-conditioned room.
• Stay out of the sun.
• Check up on relatives and neighbors.
• Take extra precautions when outside.
• Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing.
• Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening.
• Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

How to be safe in high heat:Heat wave: What to know when extreme hot weather is forecasted

Has July been hotter than normal?

While this summer has seemed hotter than normal, Gorse said July is about a degree higher than normal.

The summer may seem hotter because Delaware faced an early summer heat wave in June.

“When you get an early (heat wave) or it’s in June, it’s an abnormal thing to have,” Gorse said.

Delaware forecast

New Castle County

New Castle County will get a preview Wednesday with highs hitting the low 90s under sunny skies with a 20% chance of rain.

Thursday will be hot and humid with highs in the mid-90s. There’s a 30% chance of scattered storms in the afternoon.

The heat will continue Friday with highs in the lower 90s and a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms.

The weekend forecast as of Wednesday is partly sunny skies Saturday and Sunday with highs in the mid- to upper 80s. There’s a chance of rain on both days.

Kent County forecast

Kent County will have highs in the lower 90s Wednesday afternoon.

Thursday is calling for sunny skies with highs in the mid-90s.

Friday’s forecast is for partly sunny skies with highs in the lower 90s. There is a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Saturday and Sunday are calling for partly sunny skies with highs in the upper 80s with a chance of showers and storms on both days.

Sussex County forecast

Sussex County will be sunny Wednesday afternoon with highs in the lower 90s.

Thursday will be sunny with highs in the mid-90s.

Friday will be mostly sunny with a 40 percent chance of showers and storms in the afternoon.

Saturday and Sunday will be sunny with highs in the upper 80s. There’s a 50% chance of rain on both days.

Delaware beaches

The Delaware beaches will have highs in the upper 80s on Wednesday.

Thursday is calling for mostly sunny skies with highs in the 90s.

Friday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies with a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs will be in the upper 80s.

Saturday and Sunday are calling for partly to mostly sunny skies with a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Tropical storm forecast

An area of disturbed weather has formed in the central Atlantic Ocean, and forecasters said “a tropical depression could form later this week while the system is in the vicinity of the Greater Antilles or the Bahamas.”

If its winds reach 39 mph, the system would receive the name Tropical Storm Debby, and it would be the fourth named storm of what’s predicted to be an extremely active 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

The storm has a 60% chance of forming and while projections have it moving around Florida, it’s too soon to tell if it will move up the East Coast.

“There is a lot of uncertainty and the storm hasn’t developed,” said Gorse, who advised people to keep tuned into the forecast and see how things trend.