CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Monday is likely to be the hottest day of 2024 as temperatures approach records.

Your first warning: extreme heat is expected today

We start off with very warm and muggy conditions across eastern Iowa for Monday morning, with temperatures generally in the mid 70s. Dew points won’t be far off, creating a sticky feeling in the air. Skies will be mostly clear for the most part, though some fog patches have developed in some areas. This is mainly in our northwest zone, with some favoring low elevations elsewhere. Be prepared for occasional changes in visibility during the morning rush hour.

Once the sun comes up, temperatures will start to rise quite quickly. Skies will remain mostly to completely clear for most of the day, with air temperatures reaching around 90 degrees Celsius by midday. Highs will end this afternoon well into the mid to high 90s in most locations. These will be near record highs for the day in most locations, with Waterloo expected to equal a record high set in 2003 at 97 degrees Celsius.

The biggest factor today, however, will be the heat index. With dew points in the high 70s, and even closer to 80 by late afternoon, the combination of humidity and temperature will make it feel like 100 degrees or higher from late morning through late evening. For several hours this afternoon, a heat index reading of 110 to 115 will be possible in many areas.

This is a rare type of heat here, usually felt only a few days a year. It is highly recommended to take precautions to prevent heat-related illness during this extreme heat. If possible, avoid spending extended periods outdoors, especially strenuous activities such as work or exercise. Steps you can take to keep yourself safe include drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, while avoiding caffeinated or alcoholic beverages. Wear light-colored, lightweight, and loose-fitting clothing to help your body’s temperature regulation system work properly. Also, take frequent breaks from the heat in an air-conditioned space.

Don’t forget small children, the elderly, or pets, as they can sometimes feel the effects of heat more acutely. Check with neighbors to see how they are coping with the heat, and limit children’s outdoor playtime. Also limit the time pets spend outside, and make sure they always have access to water. Be sure to check the backseat of your car before getting out; hot car deaths are completely preventable by not leaving people or pets in the car without the air conditioning on.

Know and recognize the symptoms of heat-related illness so you can keep yourself safe:

Tuesday will likely see similarly warm conditions, although heat index values ​​could fall into a slightly cooler range of 100 to 110 degrees. This difference is subtle, however, and heat-related precautions are still strongly advised for another day.

Your first warning: this week there is a chance of storms again, with a serious threat

While Monday will remain dry during the day, storm potential is back for parts of the TV9 viewing area tonight. Storms developing to our northwest later today have the potential to move through at least the northern few tiers of counties in our northern zones. It’s not a guarantee, though; storms are somewhat more likely to stay north of the Iowa-Minnesota border, where severe storm potential is higher.

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a slight risk for severe storms in these areas. Damaging winds would be the primary threat, with an incident or two of large hail a secondary risk.

The window for this risk would be between approximately midnight and 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, with our northwest zone seeing the earliest storms and moving past the Mississippi River by or after sunrise. Stay updated on the weather during this time frame! It’s important to make sure you have ways to receive alerts that can alert you while you sleep. A NOAA weather radio is a great tool in this case. Make sure it’s plugged in and turned on, ready to receive alerts, before you go to bed. We also recommend the KCRG-TV9 First Alert Weather app, which can give you customized alerts for your location. Of course, we’ll also provide updates on KCRG.com and KCRG-TV9 as conditions warrant.

A similar risk for a few strong to severe storms could develop Tuesday, although that outcome will depend somewhat on what exactly happens tonight. The most likely area to see this threat would be in our northeast zone near the Mississippi River.

More chances for scattered showers and storms are in the pipeline, with a slight chance on Wednesday. A greater chance for more widespread storms looks possible on Thursday as a cold front finally moves through. A few of these storms could linger into early Friday before drier weather returns. The risk for severe storms looks low during this time.

Much more comfortable conditions towards the end of the week and early next week

Fortunately, we’ll get a break from this late summer heat wave behind this cold front, with more pleasant air arriving later Friday into the weekend. Temperatures will be much closer to normal for late August through early September, with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s. At night, lows will drop into the upper 50s to low 60s, making for a chilly start to the day.

There is also a chance of dry weather during this period.

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