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Excessive Heat: Still A Problem After The Sun Goes Down
June 12, 2024 at 06:38 AM EDT
By WeatherBug's Domenic Brooks
During the summertime, many people rely on colder overnight temperatures to cool down from the hot summer day that preceded. However, what happens if it remains hot overnight? After a day in triple-digit heat, overnight low temperatures in the 80s or 90s are not exactly low enough to allow the body to properly cool down and recover. This can lead to some dangerous side effects.
Temperatures typically follow a reliable pattern throughout the day. After sunrise, the air and ground heat up and continue to do so until the sun begins to set. After sunset, the air and ground cool off, as there is no more sunlight to keep heating them. For most locations, peak daytime heating occurs late in the morning into the mid-afternoon hours, this is where the highest temperatures occur. The lowest temperatures usually occur just before sunrise, after everything has been cooling off all night.
Dynamic weather patterns, including the arrival of cold or warm fronts, can affect the rate and magnitude at which the temperature in a given area will diminish overnight. In general, the nighttime will feature temperatures that are several degrees cooler than during the day. How hot it was during the day also affects how cold it gets at night. A good rule of thumb is that the hotter it was during the day, the warmer the overnight low temperature will be.
For vulnerable populations (the elderly, children, outside workers, etc.) and those who lack air conditioning, cooler nighttime temperatures after a simmering hot day are imperative to decreasing the risk of heat-related illnesses. When overnight temperatures do not decrease enough, that is when problems can occur. It is not just health issues either. Even those with air conditioning suffer from higher energy costs, as it requires more energy to cool a home if the night cannot naturally do it for you.
Earlier this summer, Phoenix recorded an overnight low temperature of 97 degrees, an all-time record high minimum temperature for the city. That temperature would be a daytime record high in many places and is not nearly low enough for the average human to properly cool off.
In cities like Phoenix, the problem is exacerbated by an effect known as the urban heat island effect. In larger cities, asphalt and concrete buildings are very efficient in absorbing heat, making the city feel much hotter than its surrounding suburban or rural areas. In turn, cities are better able to retain heat overnight, preventing the area from efficiently cooling once the sun goes down.
If you are faced with a situation where it remains hot overnight in your area, there are some things you can do to cool off. If possible, turning on air conditioning is likely your best option as it can provide efficient cooling without much effort. If not, do your best to provide efficient air circulation through your home by using fans, as that can help prevent static hot air from settling in. On the hottest days, try to remain on the lowest level of your building since heat rises. Hot nights do not appear to being going away anytime soon, so do what you can to mitigate the effects.
Source: NOAA, EPA
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Featured image via Pixabay.com
Temperatures typically follow a reliable pattern throughout the day. After sunrise, the air and ground heat up and continue to do so until the sun begins to set. After sunset, the air and ground cool off, as there is no more sunlight to keep heating them. For most locations, peak daytime heating occurs late in the morning into the mid-afternoon hours, this is where the highest temperatures occur. The lowest temperatures usually occur just before sunrise, after everything has been cooling off all night.
Dynamic weather patterns, including the arrival of cold or warm fronts, can affect the rate and magnitude at which the temperature in a given area will diminish overnight. In general, the nighttime will feature temperatures that are several degrees cooler than during the day. How hot it was during the day also affects how cold it gets at night. A good rule of thumb is that the hotter it was during the day, the warmer the overnight low temperature will be.
For vulnerable populations (the elderly, children, outside workers, etc.) and those who lack air conditioning, cooler nighttime temperatures after a simmering hot day are imperative to decreasing the risk of heat-related illnesses. When overnight temperatures do not decrease enough, that is when problems can occur. It is not just health issues either. Even those with air conditioning suffer from higher energy costs, as it requires more energy to cool a home if the night cannot naturally do it for you.
Earlier this summer, Phoenix recorded an overnight low temperature of 97 degrees, an all-time record high minimum temperature for the city. That temperature would be a daytime record high in many places and is not nearly low enough for the average human to properly cool off.
In cities like Phoenix, the problem is exacerbated by an effect known as the urban heat island effect. In larger cities, asphalt and concrete buildings are very efficient in absorbing heat, making the city feel much hotter than its surrounding suburban or rural areas. In turn, cities are better able to retain heat overnight, preventing the area from efficiently cooling once the sun goes down.
If you are faced with a situation where it remains hot overnight in your area, there are some things you can do to cool off. If possible, turning on air conditioning is likely your best option as it can provide efficient cooling without much effort. If not, do your best to provide efficient air circulation through your home by using fans, as that can help prevent static hot air from settling in. On the hottest days, try to remain on the lowest level of your building since heat rises. Hot nights do not appear to being going away anytime soon, so do what you can to mitigate the effects.
Source: NOAA, EPA
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Featured image via Pixabay.com