The summer sun just won’t give Knoxville or East Tennessee a break. Brutal temperatures in the 90s have been blazing in the area for weeks, and now the worst heat wave since 2012 is on its way.
A heat wave is expected to bring 100-degree temperatures to Knoxville next week, with heat index values, or “feels like temperatures,” up to 105 degrees, according to National Weather Service Morristown meteorologists.
“This is a pretty dangerous level of heat for this area (and) pretty unusual,” meteorologist Brandon Wasilewski told Knox News. “It's a multiday heat wave, so the duration and consecutive days that are going to be close to 100 is probably something that hasn't been seen since 2012.”
The actual temperature has not hit 100 degrees or higher in Knoxville since 2012, NWS records show. Temperatures reached 101-105 degrees during that heat wave, also setting the record for the hottest day ever in Knoxville.
The all-time high record is not expected to be broken, but daily high records could be broken or tied on July 15 and July 16, Wasilewski said.
How long will the heat wave last in Knoxville?
The heat wave will start July 12 and continue into the weekend with temperatures in the upper 90s. Extreme temperatures are forecasted for the beginning of next week.
By July 15, temps could hit 99 degrees, breaking the daily record high of 98 set back in 1995. The July 16 high could tie the daily record high of 100 degrees set in 2012.
Here’s the forecast for the heat wave as of July 11:
July 12: Sunny and hot, with a high near 95. Calm wind.
July 13: Sunny and hot, with a high near 96. Calm wind.
July 14: Sunny and hot, with a high near 97. Calm wind.
July 15: Sunny and hot, with a high near 99.
July 16: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunny and hot, with a high near 100.
July 17: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 98.
A cool down, if you consider a high of 89 degrees to be a cool down, should begin July 18, according to the 10-day extended forecast by weather.com.
How to stay safe in hot weather
Heat waves and extreme temperatures can quickly become dangerous, NWS Morristown warns on its website, adding that heat is one of the deadliest weather hazards.
“People may want to avoid going outside as much, that might be more pressing than other times. It would take less time to be outside to have heat exhaustion or heat-related illness,” Wasilewski advised.
Here are a few heat safety tips to remember:
- Drink plenty of water or nonalcoholic drinks, even if you don’t feel thirsty. Your body needs water to keep cool.
- Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Light colors reflect heat and sunlight and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.
- Take breaks in air conditioning and in the shade.
- Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation much more difficult.
- Never leave people or pets alone in a closed car.
Heat safety should not be ignored. Twenty-three people were evaluated for heat-related illness July 9 at an event at Knoxville McKay's used books and record store. Three were taken to the hospital.
Any heat advisories or warnings will be shared on X.com/NWSMorristown and weather.gov/mrx.
Is there a drought in Knoxville?
Drought conditions in East Tennessee have intensified over the past few weeks, with several counties experiencing moderate or severe drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
About half of Knox County is under "moderate drought" conditions as of July 11. The remaining part is “abnormally dry.”
Current drought conditions in East Tennessee are “far above and beyond anything we've seen in mid-July 2017 onward,” NWS Morristown stated in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “The coverage of the moderate or greater category has not been seen in mid-July since 2008.”
Wasilewski expects the drought to worsen next week amid the heat wave. Rain in the forecast next week could help some but might not be enough.
“It does look like the drought’s probably going to be a concern at least for the foreseeable future,” he said. “It's definitely concerning to be this dry in July. July is usually pretty wet with storms."
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208.
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