National Weather Service issues heat advisory for Berks

This weekend is a welcome to summer via firing squad.

We got a taste of what today and Sunday will feel like on Friday. But temperatures are forecasted for the mid-90s all weekend. The sun will accompany this heat burst and be sure to stay plenty hydrated when you're out and about.

It seems like the perfect summer day to just relax and do little, if anything. The National Weather Service has issued the following statement through Tuesday of next week for Berks County...

> HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 8 PM SATURDAY
> EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
TUESDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A HEAT
ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 12 PM TO 8 PM EDT SATURDAY. AN
EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED. THIS EXCESSIVE HEAT
WATCH IS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING.

A LARGE AND STRONG BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL ESTABLISH
ITSELF OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN STATES SATURDAY...AND CONTINUE INTO
NEXT WEEK. AS THIS OCCURS...AN INCREASINGLY HOT AND HUMID AIR
MASS WILL BUILD ACROSS OUR REGION. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED
TO REACH THE LOWER AND MID 90S DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS
SATURDAY. THESE TEMPERATURES...COUPLED WITH INCREASING
HUMIDITY...WILL ALLOW HEAT INDEX VALUES TO TOP OUT AROUND 100
DEGREES DURING THE HOTTEST PART OF THE DAY.

ON SUNDAY, MONDAY, AND TUESDAY, TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE IN THE LOWER AND MID 90S WITH HEAT INDEX VALUES AROUND
100 DEGREES. HOWEVER, SINCE SUNDAY, MONDAY, AND TUESDAY ARE A FEW
DAYS AWAY AND CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE...AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH HAS
BEEN ISSUED FOR SUNDAY AND EXTENDED THROUGH TUESDAY. A WEAK COLD
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SLIP THROUGH THE AREA LATE TUESDAY OR BY
WEDNESDAY, CAUSING A SLIGHT DROP IN TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY FOR
WEDNESDAY.

THIS IS THE FIRST EXTENDED PERIOD OF HOT AND HUMID WEATHER THIS
SEASON. AS A RESULT...AREA RESIDENTS ARE NOT ACCLIMATIZED TO THE
EARLY SEASON HEAT. THE FOLLOWING IS A REVIEW OF SOME HEAT RELATED
SAFETY TIPS. DRINK PLENTY OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FLUIDS...WEAR LIGHT
COLORED AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING...STAY OUT OF THE SUNSHINE AND
SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE IN AIR CONDITIONED FACILITIES.
ALSO...BE SURE TO CHECK ON ELDERLY RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS. PLEASE
LEAVE PLENTY OF WATER AND SHADE FOR PETS AND LIVESTOCK.

A HEAT ADVISORY MEANS THAT A PERIOD OF HOT TEMPERATURES IS
EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY
WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE
POSSIBLE.