By Staff Report
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Tallahassee says due to near-record heat and unseasonably low humidity, elevated fire weather conditions are expected to develop by mid-week.
Wednesday and Thursday are forecast to culminate in daily record high temperatures in spots. All-time record highs are not currently in the forecast, but they are in the upper end of possibilities.
Washington County Public Safety Director Lynne Abel says a major concern is about increasing fire danger. “With extremely high temperatures and unseasonably low humidity, dead fuels such as downed trees, will have a chance to dry out,” said Abel. “Live fuels will quickly become stressed and wilty in this type of weather. On Wednesday, relative humidity of only 20-30 percent is forecast along and north of Interstate 10. An extremely deep mixed layer and very high dispersion on Wednesday means that any new fire starts may pose control problems.”
NWS forecasts that dewpoints and humidity will trend upward on Thursday and Friday before a more substantial cooling trend can kick in over the weekend.
Thursday and Friday are days when heat index values will be in dangerous territory. For example: on Friday, heat index values of 105-115 are expected along and south of the Florida/Alabama/Georgia border.
Jim Saunders