Dangerous heat wave descends on Charlotte. Stifling temps to last for days, NWS says.

The season’s first heat wave is descending on Charlotte and Rock Hill this weekend, with stifling temperatures expected through much of the work week, a National Weather Service meteorologist said Saturday.

“It may be a little early for a heat wave, but it’s not uncommon for late June,” meteorologist Patrick Moore of the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina, told The Charlotte Observer. “But it’s the first heat wave of the season, so we do want to bring attention to that.”

“Slow down,” Moore advised. “Take breaks. Drink plenty of non-alcoholic beverages if you need to be outside.”

How high temperatures could climb

Hot and humid conditions are expected Sunday through Thursday, according to an NWS hazardous weather outlook bulletin issued Saturday morning for Mecklenburg and surrounding counties, Upstate South Carolina and the mountains.

“These hot and humid conditions will present an increased risk of heat-related illness for those who are sensitive to heat and to those without access to air conditioning,” according to the NWS alert. “Avoid spending extended time outdoors during the hottest part of the day.

Wednesday is predicted to be the hottest day of the week, with an expected high of 98 in Charlotte, Moore said. The record high for that day, June 26, is 102 degrees, set in 1952, he said.

“All of our record highs for Charlotte in late June are in the low 100s,” he said.

Highs in Charlotte are expected to climb from 93 on Saturday to 95 on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and 97 on Wednesday, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast Saturday morning.

A high of 94 is forecast on Thursday and 92 on Friday in Charlotte.

Rock Hill can expect highs to increase from 93 on Saturday to 95 on Sunday, 96 on Monday and Tuesday and 98 on Wednesday. Highs are predicted to dip to 94 on Thursday and 92 on Friday, according to the NWS.

Chance of showers, thunderstorms

Skies should remain mostly sunny all week, although the hotter it gets, the less stable the atmosphere becomes, Moore said.

“With the heat will come the better chances for afternoon showers and thunderstorms, although they’re not in the forecast yet,” he said.

The greatest risk for potentially damaging storms is Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, Moore said.

How hot the weather will feel

You’ll feel like it’s 100 to 104 degrees outside all week, primarily along the Interstate 77 corridor, according to the NWS hazardous weather outlook bulletin.

That’s known as the heat index value, or what it feels like when you combine temperature and humidity.

Moore said the heat index is predicted to climb into the low 100s across the region on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, “not Tuesday.”

The NWS issues heat advisories only when the heat index is forecast to reach 105 and above, he said.