The Twin Cities are set to experience an intense bout of heat and humidity with "heat index values up to 103 possible," according to an Extreme Heat Watch issued by the National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN. The watch, which remains in effect from Sunday afternoon through Sunday evening, warns residents of central, east central, south central, southeast, southwest, and west central Minnesota, of the potential danger posed by the sweltering temperatures.
The forecast for Minneapolis on the National Weather Service website confirms that residents should brace for sunny skies and a scorching high near 92 on Sunday, with astronomical heat index values soaring as high as 100, which is extremely unusual for this area. Temperatures are not expected to drop much overnight, with lows hovering around 74 degrees, amid a backdrop of partly cloudy skies and a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms late into the night.
Today's conditions aren't much milder, signaling the start of a severe heat event as Saturday's highs teeter near 90 degrees and tonight's lows are projected to be around 73 degrees, only providing minor respite from the daytime heat.
In tandem with the gripping heat, the region also confronts the prospect of severe thunderstorms and heavy rain come Sunday, despite the current absence of a need for SKYWARN spotter activation, the Hazardous Weather Outlook clarifies, yet this does not diminish the critical nature of the forthcoming heat and the subsequent health risks associated with it, these conditions are particularly dangerous for vulnerable populations and those without access to air conditioning, heat-related illnesses are set to increase significantly.
The metro area should anticipate this stifling pattern to continue into the early week with sunny skies and highs in the lower 90s on Monday, dropping to a low around 70 Monday night with a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m. The outlook for Tuesday through Thursday shows a slight cooldown with "a 20 percent chance of showers" and more moderate temperatures, leading into a pleasant end of the week with sunny conditions and highs around 79.
