Weather

Heat advisory holds off but index still breaks into 100s

Tuesday was another scorcher, but lower than expected heat indexes meant most areas were able to avoid heat advisories.

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Tuesday was another scorcher, but lower than expected heat indexes meant most areas were able to avoid heat advisories.

Temperatures around the Triangle began Tuesday morning in the the mid- to high-70s with a dew point that was nearly as high. The humid, warm morning bloomed into another day of stifling, triple-digit heat, but it wasn't as hot as Monday.

To trigger a heat advisory, the temperature has to break 105 degrees, but most counties in the state didn't reach that level. Even without an official advisory, though, Wake County Public Schools tweeted that there would be no outdoor athletic activities between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday due to the heat.

WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said that period between July 5 and Aug. 16 of this year is tied for first place in the record books when it comes to the most 90 degrees in the time period.

"This is historic for that 43 day period," said Fishel, who noted that this has been the 20th hottest year on record.

Temperatures will back off a bit for the remainder of the week as the chance for storms increase on Thursday. Fishel said temperatures could fall back into the 80s next week.

"Hopefully by about Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, we might actually get something that you’ll notice and be excited about,” he said.

Even though the heat might seem like it has settled in for good, Gardner said the oppressive wave could soon be coming to an end—to make way for autumn.

"(These muggy days) are numbered at this point," Gardner said. "It's the middle of August, and it wont be long, really just a matter of weeks, before we really start to see some much bigger, more permanent changes in our weather pattern."

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