Tracking Major Hurricane Erin; Hot in the Mid-Mississippi Valley

Major Hurricane Erin is tracking just north of the lower Bahamas today. Dangerous surf and rip current threats increase this week for most of the Atlantic coastline. Erin's outerbands may impact the Outer Banks later this week. Hot to extremely hot temperatures are forecast today and Tuesday from a part of the southern Plains into the central to lower Mississippi River Valley. Read More >

Heat Threat

Heat Index, Temperature, Relative Humidity and Surface Wind Forecast

San Juan

Ponce

Mayaguez

Arecibo

Ceiba

San Juan

Ponce

Mayaguez

Arecibo

Heat Products Changes

The National Weather Service (NWS) is renaming its heat watch and warning products to improve messaging of these hazards and provide better decision-making services. Nationwide Implementation in March 2025

Hazard simplification for heat messaging

NWS is renaming its Heat Watch and Heat Warning products to improve messaging. On March 4, 2025, the NWS implemented the following changes:

Excessive Heat Watches will be renamed to Extreme Heat Watches.

Excessive Heat Warnings will be renamed to Extreme Heat Warnings.

This effort is part of the Hazard Simplification Project, which integrates years of public and partner engagements and social science research to improve and evolve our alerting system. Renaming these Watch and Warning products also enables clear and timely decision support.

Heat Safety

Stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay informed!

Heat is the #1 weather-related killer in the United States! Here are a few tips on staying safe during episodes of dangerously hot weather / El calor es la #1 condición meteorológica relacionada a muertes con el clima en los Estados Unidos! Aquí hay algunos consejos sobre cómo mantenerse seguro durante los episodios de calor excesivo:

Children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. This is especially true during warm or hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. / Los niños y las mascotas nunca deben dejarse desatendidos en vehículos bajo ninguna circunstancia. Esto es especialmente cierto en climas cálidos o calurosos, cuando los interiores de los automóviles pueden alcanzar temperaturas letales en cuestión de minutos.

Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When outdoors, wear sunblock and light colored clothing as well as a wide-brimmed hat to keep your head and body cooler. Limit strenuous outdoor activities and take frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. / Tome precauciones adicionales si trabaja o pasa tiempo afuera. Cuando esté al aire libre, use bloqueador solar y ropa de colores claros, así como un sombrero y gorras para mantener la cabeza y el cuerpo más frescos. Limite las actividades extenuantes al aire libre y tome descansos frecuentes en ambientes con sombra o con aire acondicionado. Cuando sea posible, reprograme las actividades agotadoras a la mañana o al atardecer.

Drink more water than usual and avoid alcohol, sugar, and caffeine. / Beba más agua de lo habitual y evite el alcohol, el azúcar y la cafeína.

Recognize the signs and symptoms of heat illness. Early symptoms include headache, thirst, and muscle cramps. Serious symptoms include weakness, skin that is cool to the touch, fast but weak pulse, nausea, and fainting. Severe symptoms include hot and red dry skin, fast and strong pulse, sweating that has stopped, and unconsciousness. Untreated heat illness can lead to a fatal heat stroke. / Reconocer los signos y síntomas de la enfermedad por calor. Los primeros síntomas incluyen dolor de cabeza, sed y calambres musculares. Los síntomas graves incluyen debilidad, piel fría al tacto, pulso rápido pero débil, náuseas y desmayos. Los síntomas graves incluyen piel seca, caliente y roja, pulso rápido y fuerte, sudoración que se ha detenido e inconsciencia. Una enfermedad por calor no tratada puede llevar a un golpe de calor fatal.

For more information, check the National Weather Service's Heat Safety page.