CADILLAC — Summer officially started on Sunday, and meteorologists predict dry heat and hot sun. This kind of weather is great for beach-lovers, but there’s also potential danger that comes with these conditions.
Sabrina Jauernic, meteorologist with the Gaylord National Weather Service (NWS), said that temperatures have settled into the mid to high 80s, which is normal for this time of year. A cooling trend will be seen through this week, but the heat will continue.
Reapplying sunscreen, wearing light colored clothing and drinking plenty of water are Jauernic’s recommendations for avoiding burns and heat stroke.
“If it’s an abnormally hot day, like temperatures in the mid to upper 80s, or even 90s, wearing real light colors and just try and cover up any exposed skin would definitely be a good idea,‘ she said. “And avoiding being out in the sun between hours of like 10 or 11 a.m., and four or 5 p.m. when the sun’s highest in the sky.‘
Precipitation has been lower than usual putting almost the entire state at moderate drought status, and it’s likely going to last through the rest of the summer.
“There’s a decent chance of that continuing versus just becoming somehow better than normal,‘ Jauernic said.
Crops can be negatively affected when dryness persists, according to Faith Fredrickson, meteorologist and office agriculture program leader with the Gaylord NWS.
“Drought is typically a stressor for crops,‘ Fredrickson said. “Just like people need water, and don’t do well when we run on empty, similarly, plants also need water to survive and thrive.‘
Many farms have irrigation systems to supplement water in times of drought, but Fredrickson said farms that don’t have that kind of equipment will see a lower crop yield. Occasionally, drought can be helpful to crops, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s ‘good.’
“Interestingly, dryness can sometimes be beneficial as it can help suppress some diseases, but overall, dryness is typically a detriment to crops,‘ Fredrickson said.
An increased chance of wildfires can also come with extreme dryness, and Fire Prevention Specialist, Paul Rogers, said that rainfall won’t hold danger off for long.
“The problem we run into is it evaporates very quickly, because the ground is so dry. A lot of times the ground is so dry, the water will even bead right off from it,‘ Rogers said. “It’s a pretty severe condition.‘
A period of drought is normal over the summer, he said, but it typically doesn’t start until August, meaning the current drought will be longer than usual, unless the weather pattern changes.
Rogers said travelers should avoid throwing throwing cigarettes out car windows, because they can ignite grass on the side of the road. They should also watch for dragging chains because they can create sparks.
Summertime campers shouldn’t leave their campfire unattended, and make sure it’s fully extinguished before leaving.
With the Fourth of July coming up, people can protect against wildfires by shooting fireworks away from the woods, grass and shrubs. Rogers recommends some other precautions to take.
“If you have an area where you’re lighting them, make sure you wet that area down, because a lot of grass has already died and the yard could start on fire. And always have a bucket of water if you’re doing fireworks,‘ he said. “If you see something start to burn, you can put it out.
Whether your plan is to visit the beach, go camping, or just spend some time in your backyard, enjoy the summer safely. Daily forecasts can be found at weather.gov/greatlakes. Fire prevention tips and burn permits can be found at michigan.gov/firemanagement.
June 21, 2021 at 11:00AM
https://www.cadillacnews.com/news/summer-weather-predicted-to-stay-hot-and-dry/article_214ded86-a003-58e2-9700-d5571413ed9f.html
Summer weather predicted to stay hot and dry - Cadillac News
https://news.google.com/search?q=dry&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
No comments:
Post a Comment