Heat Advisory Grips Missouri and Illinois: Heat Index Hits 105 Through Tuesday

The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for central and southeast Missouri and south central Illinois from midday Saturday through 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 21, with heat index values climbing to 100 to 105 degrees. Heat like this is not a single bad afternoon; the risk builds each day the body cannot cool down overnight.

The people who get hurt are rarely caught outside by surprise. They are the ones without working air conditioning, the older neighbor who keeps the windows shut, the outdoor worker who pushes through, the child or pet left in a car for just a minute. Heat stroke is a medical emergency, and by the time it arrives the window to act is short.

A prepared household treats a heat wave like the hazard it is: it knows its coolest room, keeps water within reach and stays ahead on hydration, checks on the vulnerable, and has a plan for the hours when the grid strains. If your cooling depends on electricity, an extended outage during a heat wave is the scenario to plan for now, before the next advisory posts.