The National Weather Service in Twin Cities/Chanhassen, Minnesota has issued an Excessive Heat Watch for portions of central, east central, south central, southwest, and west central Minnesota. This alert highlights the potential for dangerously hot conditions from Sunday afternoon through Monday evening, with heat index values soaring to as high as 110 in some areas. According to the forecast published on the National Weather Service website, the Twin Cities metro may experience heat indices around 100, while it could feel even hotter in southwestern Minnesota.
In preparation for the scorching heat, the weather service advises the public to drink plenty of fluids, seek air-conditioned environments, avoid sun exposure, and check on vulnerable relatives and neighbors. Driving home the severity of the expected conditions, the Weather Service states, "Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events." Offering little relief, even the nighttime hours will be unusually warm, with Sunday night lows forecasted in the low to mid-70s.
Within the forecast period, Minneapolis is expected to see increasing clouds today with a high of 85, and a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 9 pm and 5 am. Sunday will be mostly sunny and turn even hotter, reaching nearly 90 degrees, with heat index values as high as 101. As conveyed by the National Weather Service's forecast, the start of the workweek won't provide a respite, as Monday is expected to be mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 94.
The rest of the week also anticipates high temperatures, though slightly reduced from the weekend's peak. Tuesday's forecast promises mostly sunny skies with a high near 84, and Wednesday will see more sun with a high near 80. Rain chances will re-emerge on Wednesday night and continue with a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms through Thursday. As per the briefed outlook, relatively cooler conditions will return by Friday with a sunny high near 75, potentially ending this bout of excessive heat.
