Map Shows States Asking People to Avoid Being Outdoors

The National Weather Service (NWS) is advising residents of 11 states to avoid the outdoors during an excessive heat warning, with some alerts stretching into the middle of next week.

Warnings have been issued for parts of Arizona, Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas and Washington.

An excessive heat warning is issued by the NWS when the heat index value is expected to reach or exceed 105 degrees within the next 12 to 24 hours. Under the warning, the risk for heat-related illnesses increases significantly, which could result in issues like heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

Forecasters advise that residents under an excessive heat warning should drink plenty of fluids, stay in air conditioning and “stay out of the sun” as much as possible. The NWS also suggests to check in on relatives and neighbors during periods of extreme heat.

When outside, it is important to “take extra precautions,” the NWS said, including by wearing lightweight and loosefitting clothing and limiting any “strenuous activities” to the morning or evening hours, when temperatures are likely to be at their lowest.

For outdoor workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration “recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments,” read the NWS announcement of the warning.

Here’s an overview of the states under an extreme heat warning this week.

Southwest

Several counties in Southern California face an excessive heat warning, beginning on Tuesday, with some continuing into the middle of next week.

In the counties surrounding Hanford, California, the NWS said that there is a high probability of temperatures exceeding 107 degrees during the warning, which extends until 8 a.m. PDT July 10.

The San Francisco Bay Area was also under an excessive heat warning Tuesday until 11 p.m. PDT July 9. Temperatures were projected to reach between the upper 90s to 115 degrees, read the NWS announcement. Parts of the surrounding San Diego area are under a heat warning until 9 p.m. PDT July 9.

The Los Angeles/Oxnard area has a warning in place starting on 11 a.m. PDT Wednesday through 6 p.m. PDT July 8. During that time, temperatures are projected to reach upward of 105 degrees, with highs of 110 possible in the nearby valleys.

The NWS also issued an excessive heat warning from 11 a.m. PDT Wednesday to 11 p.m. PDT July 8 for the Las Vegas area, including Las Vegas Valley and portions of Clark and Nye counties. The warning also includes Death Valley National Park in Southern California.

Quadrants of northwestern Arizona are under an excessive heat warning from 11 a.m. PDT Thursday to 11 p.m. PDT July 8.

Northwest

An excessive heat warning also spans into parts of northwestern, central and southwestern Oregon from 12 p.m. PDT Thursday to 11 p.m. PDT Sunday. The NWS is forecasting temperatures to reach between 100 and 105 degrees during the warning’s span, with a 25 to 35 percent chance that temperatures will exceed 110 during the day Saturday.

The warning also includes parts of southwest Washington.

Southeast and Central

Heat index values are forecast to reach up to 113 degrees in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas on Tuesday, according to the NWS announcement.

In the area surrounding Fort Worth, Texas, an excessive heat warning was in place until 7 p.m. CDT Tuesday, with heat index values potentially exceeding 110 degrees. Similar warnings were in place for Little Rock, Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma and portions of north and northwestern Louisiana through Wednesday night.

In Tennessee, an excessive heat warning is in place until 8 p.m. CDT Wednesday. That warning also includes portions of northern Mississippi, with heat indexes expected of up to 113 degrees.