Tropical system could end brutal heat wave in New Orleans
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A tropical system moving through the Gulf is expected to break the brutal heat wave in southeast Louisiana, the National Weather Service says.
Why it matters: New Orleans has been under heat advisories since Sunday, with the "feels like" temp topping 106 every day.
The big picture: New Orleans is under an extreme heat warning Wednesday, with a heat index of 114 possible, NWS says.
- An extreme heat warning is more serious than a heat advisory. It's the first time NWS has issued one in New Orleans this year.
- "We are confident hot temperatures and high humidity will occur today and could quickly lead to heat illness if precautions aren't taken," the local NWS office advised.
- See the signs of heat illness and what you need to do.
Threat level: Five people have died in Louisiana this year from heat-related causes, according to the state health department.
- About 1,900 people have gone to the emergency room for heat-related illnesses this year, the data shows.
- Extreme heat is the most deadly weather event in the U.S., writes Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick, and research has shown that human-driven climate change is making such events both more intense and more frequent.
Zoom out: The National Hurricane Center is tracking a system in the Gulf that's expected to bring rain to southeast Louisiana late Wednesday through Saturday, NWS says.
- About 2 to 3 inches are possible in New Orleans, mainly Thursday and Friday, says NWS meteorologist Tyler Stanfield.
- The moisture is from last week's tropical system in the Gulf that moved inland over Louisiana and eventually cycled back over the water, Stanfield says.
Zoom in: The cloud cover is already cooling things down, Stanfield says, but it's still gross outside.
- "It's just really, really sticky," Stanfield says, "like wearing a wet blanket."
- Thursday is expected to be hot (high around 91), but not enough for a heat advisory, he says.
What's next: The tropical disturbance is moving southwest and has a low chance of becoming a named storm, NHC said in its Wednesday forecast.