ALERT: Weather service issues warning about heatwave
Ten things you should know about heatwaves and tips on how to cope
The SA Weather Service has issued an advisory of a heatwave which will hit Gauteng on Saturday.
The heatwave is expected to continue until Monday and will be the first for the 2018 summer.
The maximum temperature for Friday is 31 degrees, with a 27% chance of thunderstorms.
On Saturday the expected maximum temperature is 34 degrees, while Sunday will be even warmer at 35 degrees.
Monday is expected to be a scorcher at 37 degrees.
⚠️ALERT: The SA Weather Service has issued a HEATWAVE advisory for Gauteng from Saturday until Monday. This will be the first one of summer 17/2018!
— Gauteng Weather (@tWeatherSA) January 5, 2018
Friday🌥13|31°C☂️27%
— Gauteng Weather (@tWeatherSA) January 5, 2018
⚠️ HEATWAVE ⚠️
Saturday🌤17|34°C
Sunday🌤18|35°C
🔥Monday🌤20|37°C🔥#JHBWeather
Also read:
• Keep your kids cool during current heatwave
• 8 tips to get your pets through a heatwave
• What to do when your car overheats in a heatwave
10 Things you should know about heatwaves
1. A heatwave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries.
2. Heatwaves form when high pressure aloft strengthens and remains over a region for several days up to several weeks.
3. Temperatures that people from a hotter climate consider normal can be termed a heat wave in a cooler area if they are outside the normal climate pattern for that area.
4. Severe heatwaves have caused catastrophic crop failures, thousands of deaths from hyperthermia, and widespread power outages due to increased use of air conditioning.
5. During heatwaves, the human body is pushed beyond its limits. Under normal conditions, the body’s internal thermostat produces perspiration that evaporates and cools the body. However, in excessive heat and high humidity, evaporation is slowed and the body must work extra hard to maintain a normal temperature.
6. Abnormally hot temperatures cause electricity demand to increase when air conditioners are straining to overcome the heat.
7. If a hot spell extends to three days or more, night time temperatures do not cool down and the thermal mass in homes and buildings retains the heat from previous days.
8. The Australian summer of 2012-2013, known as the Angry Summer or Extreme Summer, resulted in 123 weather records being broken over a 90-day period, including the hottest day ever recorded for Australia as a whole, the hottest January on record, the hottest summer average on record, and a record seven days in row when the whole continent averaged above 39°C.
9. On January 26, 1936, a heatwave hit South Africa and temperatures soared in places to up to 44,4°C.
10. Heatwaves kill more Americans than other natural disasters such as floods, lightning, tornadoes and hurricanes.
