The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for Douglas County and much of Kansas, with heat index values well above 100 degrees in the forecast, through Tuesday evening.
The warning went into effect around noon Thursday and is set to continue through 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8.
Lawrence is expected to top out with a heat index of 106 degrees around 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, according to the forecast.
“The previous Heat Advisory was upgraded to an Extreme Heat Warning due to the duration of the heat wave, the time of the year, and because overnight temperatures also remain well above average,” according to the NWS.
Overnight lows are only expected to reach the mid to upper 70s, according to NWS.
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“Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing,” the NWS advises. “Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.”
See links to find the latest weather updates in the box below this article.
Where to cool off in Lawrence
For those seeking respite from the heat:
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• The Community Building, 115 W. 11th St., is available free of charge and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. However, all city rec centers will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7 for Labor Day.
• The Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St., is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. However, the library will be closed Sunday and Monday for the Labor Day holiday.
• Lawrence Transit buses remain fare-free and air-conditioned, allowing riders to board at any stop and stay cool while traveling through the city. Transit buses will not operate on Labor Day.
• City splash pads are free and open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Lyons Park, 700 Lyon St., and Burroughs Creek Park, 900 E. 15th St. The city announced Wednesday that splash pads will be open through the first week of October this year; after that, splash pad availability will depend largely on the weather, according to a Facebook post from the Parks and Recreation department.
• The Lawrence Community Shelter, 3655 E. 25th St., is available for residents who need a place to stay overnight.
Watch for heat-releated illness
Community members should also be on the lookout for symptoms of heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“Heat stroke is an emergency,” NWS advises.
According to the Mayo Clinic, heat exhaustion symptoms can include heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea and muscle cramps.
Heat stroke, a more severe form of heat illness, may cause confusion, a rapid pulse or loss of consciousness and requires immediate medical attention. A key warning sign of heat stroke is a core body temperature of 104 degrees or higher.
Pet owners should also take precautions during extreme heat. Animals can quickly suffer from heat-related illnesses, especially when left outdoors or in vehicles. Ensure pets have constant access to fresh water and shade, avoid walking dogs during the hottest parts of the day and never leave animals in parked cars, where temperatures can rise quickly.
Lawrence residents should plan ahead, stay hydrated and limit outdoor activity during peak afternoon heat. Checking on neighbors, especially older adults and others at high risk, can also help prevent heat-related illnesses.
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Severe weather resources
Evergy outages:
• Check the status of power outages on the Evergy outage map, outagemap.evergy.com.
• Report a power outage at evergy.com/report-outage, or call 800-544-4857.
• For down powerlines, call Evergy’s emergency line, 800-383-1183, if above-ground lines are arcing or making contact with trees or vegetation. Call 911 immediately if overhead power lines are on the ground or a fire starts. Do not go near the line.
National Weather Service local office (Topeka):
• Find the latest weather forecast info and severe weather advisories for the Lawrence area at this link.
• In the event of rapidly changing severe weather, such as tornadoes, the NWS posts frequent updates on Twitter, @NWSTopeka. You do not need a Twitter account to see tweets from NWS.
• NWS is also on Facebook, facebook.com/NWSTopeka.
• Call 785-234-2592 to hear the forecast.
Douglas County Emergency Management:
• Follow @DgCoEM on Twitter or Douglas County, KS- Emergency Management on Facebook, facebook.com/dgcoem.
• Sign up to receive emergency alerts at dgcoks.org/emalerts.
• Find lots of tips on severe weather and other emergency preparedness on DgCoEM’s website at douglascountyks.org/emergency-management.
• Report storm damage (for non-emergencies only, and after storm danger has passed) by calling the nonemergency dispatch line at 785-843-0250 or 785-832-7509.
City of Lawrence snow info:
• The city has snow information and a map at lawrenceks.org/snow that shows information about road conditions and where snowplows have been. The city typically begins snow and ice control for residential roadways when 2 or more inches of snowfall or icing occurs.
Highway conditions beyond Lawrence:
• KanDrive, an app and website from the Kansas Department of Transportation, has info on highway conditions statewide. KanDrive is available online at KanDrive.gov, and its app is available for download free on the App Store and Google Play.
Air quality:
• Check the current air quality index in Lawrence and elsewhere through AirNow, airnow.gov.
This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.
If you have news tips, questions, comments, concerns, compliments or corrections for our team, please reach out and let us know what’s on your mind. Email us at [email protected] (don’t forget the KS!), or find more contact info and a quick contact form at LawrenceKSTimes.com/contact.
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