LITTLE ROCK — At least five Arkansas cities set records for searing temperatures Monday as a ridge of high pressure over the central United States pushed the thermometer to triple digits in the Natural State.
Most of the state saw temperatures reach at least 100 degrees, said Sean Clarke, a National Weather Service meteorologist in North Little Rock.
Northeast Arkansas remained the coolest part of the state. Jonesboro hit the 100-degree mark, but the temperatures stayed in the mid-90s elsewhere in the region.
In west-central Arkansas, Russellville set the state’s high at 108 degrees Monday afternoon, topping the city’s previous high for the date of 101 degrees set June 25, 1954.
Little Rock’s reading of 105 degrees broke a record of 101 degrees set June 25, 1998, and North Little Rock’s 105 degrees shattered its 99-degree reading from 1998.
Hot Springs at 104 degrees and Harrison at 102 degrees also set June 25 records for their cities.
In Northwest Arkansas, Fort Smith reached 105 degrees, and Fayetteville, Highfill and Springdale all saw 100 degrees Monday.
South Arkansas sizzled - Arkadelphia hit 106 degrees, Texarkana topped out at 105 degrees and Camden reached 104.
The official readings are taken by National Weather Service stations, Clarke said, noting that thermometers at businesses and on cars often give even higher readings because they are mounted on metal signs or on building roofs.
“It’s called the ‘heat island effect,’” Clarke said. “It’s reading temperatures reflected off concrete or metal.”
In Russellville, business was brisk at a Main Street ice cream shop as customers sought relief.
“When someone comes in the store, it gets a bit hotter in here,” said Robbie Davis, manager of Johnny’s Ice Cream and Deli. “When the door opens, it’s like a wave hitting you.”
The heat has come early this year, Clarke said. A yearago Monday, North Little Rock recorded a reading of 97 degrees.
“We’re ahead of schedule,” he said.
The meteorologist blamed the heat on the drought that has plagued the state for the past few weeks.
“Plants are very dry,” Clarke said. “Since everything is brown, the sun’s energy isn’t spent on heating plants. The atmosphere warms quicker.”
Last week, the U.S. Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb., determined that 83.5 percent of Arkansas is in a severe drought.
The center ranks the severity of a drought based upon rainfall received in the area for the month compared with normal rainfall totals for the month.
A severe drought is issued when an area receives 3 to 4 inches of rainfall below normal for the month. An area receives the status of extreme drought when rainfall totals are four inches or more below normal for the month.
Rain isn’t expected anytime soon, but some of the state will see a reprieve from theheat today.
A weak cold front will pass through Arkansas, dropping temperatures for the day. Little Rock’s forecast high for today is 93 degrees, Clarke said.
Temperatures will return to the upper 90s by midweek and through the rest of week in much of central Arkansas after the front passes. Northeast Arkansas could see highs in the 80s today, Clarke said.
Western Arkansas won’t be spared from the heat, however. Temperatures are forecast to remain above 100 degrees through Sunday.
Van Buren is forecast to see the thermometer to climb to 107 degrees by Wednesday.
“We’re telling our workers to take breaks every two hours and to drink plenty of fluids,” said Travis Graham, manager of Graham Roofing in Van Buren.
“We’ve got one guy on each crew whose main responsibility is to check on everyone else to make sure they’re OK.”
Visitors flocked Mount Nebo State Park, 1,300 feet above Dardanelle on Monday to beat the heat, said Holly Moore, facility manager at the park. Because of the elevation, temperatures are generally 5 to 10 degrees cooler than in town,she said.
“It’s breezy up here,” she said. “It’s still hot, but it’s something, and it’s still five to 10 degrees cooler.”
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory Monday for Sebastian, Crawford and Franklin counties. Such advisories are issued when heat and humidity combine to create a heat index, or perceived temperature, of 105 to 115 degrees for at least three hours.
“We are in a typical pattern for summer,” said Karen Hatfield, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Tulsa, which serves parts of western Arkansas. “But it came a bit earlier because of the dry weather.It’s not unusual, but normally it holds off until later.”
Farther north, the thermometer hit 104 in Flippin - about 10 miles south of Bull Shoals Lake in Marion County.
“You’d think since we have a lot of lakes and water, it wouldn’t be so hot,” said Mildred Stewart, a Flippin City Hall employee. “But you can’t catch your breath.
The Arkansas Department of Health has received no reports of heat-related illness or deaths so far, spokesman Ed Barham said.
Still, he said, “It’s a goodidea to spend the hottest part of the day in air-conditioning,” he said.
An ozone alert has also been issued for today for Pulaski, Faulkner, Lonoke and Saline counties. The ozone forecast is at level orange, meaning outdoor activities for active children and adults and anyone with respiratory diseases such as asthma should be limited, a news release said.
Metroplan, central Arkansas’ regional planning agency, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the state Health Department and the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department sponsor Ozone Action Days, a program to keep the public informed about ground-level ozone in central Arkansas.
Breathing ground-level ozone may result in shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, headaches, nausea, and eye and throat irritation. The symptoms usually disappear within a few hours after going indoors, according to the news release.
Dirk Haselow, the medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at the Health Department, urged people to drink fluids and be aware of the heat when temperatures rise.
Front Section, Pages 1 on 06/26/2012