Dangerous heat index forecasted for Bloomington

It’s going to be a scorcher this week.

Temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s and humidity levels in the upper 70 percent range are expected.

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat watch for much of southern and central Indiana until Saturday evening. The watch for the area includes Bloomington.

The NWS warns that high humidity and high temperatures will likely lead to dangerous heat index values between 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit from late morning to early evening each day all week, making Bloomington feel more like the Amazon than southern Indiana.

The weather agency said in its advisory the negative health effects of excessive heat exposure are cumulative and increase each day that someone is exposed to high temperatures.

It is strongly recommended that outdoor activities be cancelled or rescheduled to the evening to avoid exposure to the heat.

The NWS also warned that anyone spending significant amounts of time outdoors or engaging in strenuous activity will be susceptible to “serious and potentially life-threatening heat illnesses.”   

Everyone should drink plenty of fluids, avoid being outdoors and stay in an air conditioned room.