Highlights

• Record-setting heat Friday and Saturday• “D.C. Derecho” Friday night• Increased humidity = strong storms Sunday• An early look back at June…• A look ahead to this week…Despite the heat, local hospitals say they haven't seen a substantial uptick in heat-related injuries. WakeMed, with its four emergency room locations, only treated 10 people for heat-related problems on Friday and Saturday combined. [STATEWIDE FRI-SUN = 135 ED VISITS]

"(That's) remarkably low for this type of temperature and humidity," said WakeMed Cary's Dr. Erik Manring. "I think our population is well educated. When you hear it enough and you get an advance warning, and stay inside at the heat of the day, and do things wisely, you stay out of trouble."

Friday Saturday

Sunday Monday

RAP forecast temps for 3pm CDTFriday June 29, 2012

Westcott (2012)

Raleigh NWS didn’t think the 850mb temps would be this warm!

Damage in the D.C. area

Millions without power

6 deaths in VA, 1 death in D.C.

Tornado Warning for Sampson Co. Sunday PM

Edgecombe County

In Pitt County, a man was killed when his shed collapsed on top of him. A couple was killed in Beaufort County when a tree fell on their golf cart. Authorities did not release details in those deaths, but did confirm that they were weather-related.

Comparison of this Event with a Similar Event with Lower Heat IndicesJuly 23-25, 2010 vs. July 6-8, 2010

Comparison of this Event with a Similar Event with Lower Heat IndicesJuly 23-25, 2010 vs. July 6-8, 2010

Comparison of this Event with a Similar Event with Lower Heat IndicesJuly 23-25, 2010 vs. July 6-8, 2010

Comparison of this Event with a Similar Event with Lower Heat IndicesJuly 23-25, 2010 vs. July 6-8, 2010

Final thoughts…

Two heat episodes were compared, the July 6th-8th, 2010 (hot and not very humid) and July 23rd-25th, 2010 (hot and very humid) to note any differences in the overall pattern that could discriminate between heat episodes that are either hot or humid.

The main difference between the two cases is the location and orientation of the high pressure ridge across the eastern U.S. and the associated flow around it. The hot and dry case had the mid and upper level ridge axis centered over the central Appalachians with the ridge axis extending south to north and the upper level jet well removed and located across the Northern Plains with an associated frontal system. In contrast, the hot and humid case had a broad, flat, high pressure ridge that extended from east to west across the southeastern U.S. with the upper level jet located over the Great Lakes and an approaching frontal system.