Arkansas is due for another day of high temperatures and humidity, extending a heat wave that's expected to continue through much of the weekend, the National Weather Service said Wednesday.
Charles Dalton, a meteorologist with the office in North Little Rock, said the state will see some of its hottest conditions of the year Wednesday and Thursday with highs in the upper 90s across much of the state, including Little Rock, and heat indexes between 105 and 110. The heat index measures how hot the air feels when humidity is considered.
"It will be pretty miserable," Dalton said.
It will be slightly cooler in Northwest Arkansas and parts of north-central Arkansas, where the air temperature is expected to stay in the low 90s and the heat index will be closer to 100, the weather service said. But for much of the rest of the state, upper 90s are expected with some triple-digit readings possible even before the humidity is added into the mix.
A heat advisory is set for most of the state through 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Dalton said similar conditions are likely to persist at least through the "better part of the weekend" before there's a chance for a change in the pattern.
"It looks like there may be a bit of relief in sight as you get into the early part of next week," Dalton said. "The upper level high pressure that's been responsible for this warm spell or heat wave will kind of break down a little bit. That gives us a better chance for afternoon showers and thunderstorms."
Until then, Dalton said people should stay inside and in air-conditioning as possible while taking frequent breaks and staying hydrated if they must go outside.
Read Thursday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.