CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — With dangerous heat in the forecast this week and expected next week in the Coastal Bend, there's no better time to go over the new NWS heat alert changes that will be in use this year.
Below is how the old alerts will be consolidated into new alerts.
Old Heat Alerts:
Heat Advisory:
- issued for dangerous heat conditions that are not expected to reach warning criteria. Feels like temps: 110° and above for 2 hours or more.
Excessive Heat Warning:
- issued when dangerous heat conditions are happening or about to happen. Feels like temps: 114° and above for 2 hours or more.
New Heat Alerts:
Heat Advisory:
- issued for dangerous heat conditions that are not expected to reach warning criteria. Feels like temps: 110° and above for 2 hours or more.
Extreme Heat Watch:
- issued when conditions are favorable for an extreme heat event, but its occurrence and timing are still uncertain.
Extreme Heat Warning:
- issued when dangerous heat conditions are happening or about to happen. Feels like temps: 114° and above for 2 hours or more.
Why did NWS make this change?
NWS was motivated to make this change in order to simplify its messaging and it's a part of the organization's Hazard Simplification Project.
It is also important to note and emphasize that heat can be dangerous, even if heat alerts are not issued. So when we are dealing with air temperatures well into the 90s and heat index values in the 100s, practicing heat safety is a must regardless.