Heat advisory upgraded to heat warning

The National Weather Service on Friday morning upgraded Cape Girardeau and much of the rest of the area from a heat advisory to an excessive heat warning.

The warning was put into effect at 4:12 a.m. and stays in place until 6 p.m. Monday. The warning affects the vast majority of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

Temperatures each day are expected to reach above 100 degrees.

Friday's forecast calls for a high of 105.

Below is the text of the warning:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PADUCAH HAS ISSUED AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM CDT MONDAY. THE HEAT ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT AND HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING.

GIVEN THE PERSISTENCE OF HIGH TEMPERATURES ABOVE 100 DEGREES

THROUGH MONDAY...ALONG WITH A GRADUAL INCREASE IN RELATIVE

HUMIDITY...AN UPGRADE FROM A HEAT ADVISORY TO AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING WAS WARRANTED FOR MOST OF THE REGION.

THIS EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING COVERS ALL OF SOUTHERN ILLINOIS...SOUTHWEST INDIANA...WEST KENTUCKY AND SOUTHEAST MISSOURI... EXCEPT FOR CARTER AND RIPLEY COUNTIES. A HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THOSE COUNTIES THROUGH MONDAY.

* TIMING...DANGEROUS LEVELS OF HEAT WILL OCCUR EACH DAY THROUGH SUNDAY...PRIMARILY FROM LATE MORNING THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON.

* TEMPERATURES...HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL RANGE FROM 100 TO POSSIBLY UP TO 110 DEGREES THROUGH TODAY...AND FROM 100 TO 105 DEGREES SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. MAXIMUM HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL BE SIMILAR TO ACTUAL AIR TEMPERATURES...AROUND 105 DEGREES.

* IMPACTS...HEAT RELATED ILLNESS SUCH AS HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE ARE A REAL THREAT. DEHYDRATION CAN OCCUR QUICKLY. THE EFFECTS OF THIS HEAT WAVE WILL BE CUMULATIVE GIVEN THAT IT IS GOING TO PERSIST FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF HEAT WILL ALSO CAUSE DROUGHT CONDITIONS TO WORSEN...MAINTAINING THE CONCERN FOR WILDFIRE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE AREA.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE.

WHEN POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.

TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK...THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY...CALL 9 1 1.