DETROIT – A heat advisory was issued for Genesee, Lapeer, Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne counties from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 28.

It has been quite a summer. As if the many high-end flooding weren’t enough, the sweltering heat and humidity has made life difficult, especially for those who work outdoors and those without air conditioning.

When it comes to heat and humidity, I have both good news and bad news: The bad news is that this weekend will be the hottest of this current period of dangerous heat. The good news is that relief is on the way.

Yesterday’s thunderstorms with torrential rains were expected. However, the coverage ended up being a lot more extensive than I expected.

Instead of a few pop-up storms, the storms that did occur turned into a large mass of torrential rain. A Garden City weather observer reported an incredible 3.73-inch rain in just four hours. This type of rain event should statistically only occur once every 50 to 100 years.

A d

Fortunately, it appears that any risk of a thunderstorm this afternoon will remain largely dispersed. Most of us probably won’t see one. Perhaps the best chance to see one might be on the east side, near the great lakes, where the lake breeze might set off a few.

Temperatures will soar through the mid-1980s (30 degrees Celsius) at noon and near 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius) for an afternoon high. However, the humidity will make it much hotter: the heat index will be 91 degrees (33 degrees Celsius) at noon, 98 degrees (37 degrees Celsius) at 4 p.m. and 92 degrees (33 degrees Celsius) at the start. evening. And urban areas could see the heat index reach even 100 degrees (38 degrees Celsius) this afternoon. The national weather service has issued a heat advisory, as well as an air quality alert, also known as an ozone day of action. The combination of sun, heat, humidity and light wind means we will have low level ozone boost to deal with. Ozone is beneficial at ten miles above sea level, where it filters out some of the sun’s ultraviolet rays. But here on the surface it’s a bad thing to breathe and it causes problems for those with breathing problems or unhealthy. And some of you have emailed me over the years telling me how your health is deteriorating during Ozone Days of Action.

A d

Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do that make a significant difference in the amount of low level ozone that forms today:

• Wait until evening to refuel your vehicle. These gas vapors create a lot of ozone on a day like this.

• Likewise, don’t use gasoline-powered lawn equipment until evening, as their exhaust also creates a lot of ozone.

• Avoid unnecessary shopping or put it off until the evening. The less we drive our gasoline vehicles, the less exhaust gases we release into the air.

• Finally, reduce our electricity consumption. Turn off the lights when you leave a room for a period of time. Increase the thermostat a degree or two. Unplug chargers that are not in use (they consume electricity even when they are just sitting there plugged in and not charging anything). Do not use large electrical appliances (dishwasher, washer, dryer) until evening. The less electricity we consume during the day, the less energy our coal-fired power plants have to produce.

Saturday night will be hot and humid with lows only in the 70s (22 to 23 degrees Celsius).

Partly cloudy, hot and humid again Sunday, with scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Some of them could be strong to severe, so pay attention to the weather on Sunday and keep an eye on our app’s real-time radar to stay ahead of the weather. Sunday high near 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius), with the afternoon heat index reaching at least the mid-90s (35 degrees Celsius).

A cold front finally crossed the region Monday morning. We’ll wake up to another scorching morning, but drier air will filter through during the afternoon, and we’ll have comfortable temperatures and lower humidity for the rest of next week. It will be a wonderful week of good weather to come!

A d

Weather monitoring

Follow Michigan’s weather radar live here

Follow severe weather alerts here

Submit storm photos here

Don’t forget to download the FREE Local4Casters weather app – it’s easily one of the best in the country. Simply search for your app store under WDIV and it is available for iPhones and Androids! Or click on the appropriate link below.

Download for iPhone

Download for Android