Hot start: Erie sets high-temperature record on first day of heat wave
Erie did set a record on the first day of a heat wave that is expected to last through Friday.
The official temperature at Erie International Airport reached 91 degrees Monday at 1:39 p.m., according to the National Weather Service's daily climate report. It broke the June 17 record temperature of 90 degrees, set in 2014 and matched in 2017 and 2018.
The NWS website originally reported on its weather observations page that Erie tied the record.
More records could be broken this week, as forecast highs are expected to be around 90 at the airport each of the next three days. The record highs for those dates:
June 18 (Tuesday) — 92 (set in 2018)
June 19 (Wednesday) — 92 (1931)
June 20 (Thursday) — 92 (2016)
The NWS is projecting scattered showers and thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon with a high near 91.
Take caution in excessive heat
Temperatures this high for several consecutive days can wear people down and make them more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, such as heat stroke and heat exhaustion, said Dr. Matt McCarthy, a Saint Vincent Hospital emergency physician.
"You don't sleep well, you're not cooling off well, you're not hydrating enough, so the longer this goes on, the worse it can get," McCarthy said.
McCarthy said people should be especially aware of someone who stops sweating and displays stroke-like symptoms, including confusion and memory problems.
"They may also have a severe headache and vomiting," McCarthy said.
If those are the symptoms, they need to be taken to an emergency department as soon as possible, McCarthy said.
Contact David Bruce at [email protected]. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie weather: Temperature sets record high for today per NWS