Large areas of Iowa saw heavy showers last night and this morning, with more than four inches falling in some areas, but the most important weather event this week may be the heat.
Brooke Hagenhoff, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said there's going to be some muggy weather ahead.
“This afternoon, heat indexes will exceed 100 to 105 degrees in southern Iowa. By Tuesday and Wednesday, we expect the heat wave to spread into parts of central and northern Iowa with widespread heat indexes above 100,” Hagenhoff said. “Southern Iowa could see 110 cases, possibly higher on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon.”
Heat warnings and alerts are in effect for much of the state, but she said the heat should ease within a few days.
“We anticipate that temperatures may start to cool down on Thursday and Friday after some thunderstorms pass,” Hagenhoff said. “Wednesday, this will bring temperatures back down. Still warm, but probably more like the normal late July/early August warmth we're used to, with temperatures in the upper 80s and lower 90s possible across much of the region.
More than 20 counties in southern Iowa are under a heat advisory from 1 to 8 p.m. today, while Harrison and Shelby counties are under an extreme heat watch from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday night.
(Pat Bowles, KQWC, Webster City)
