Summer Starts in Metro Detroit with Heat Wave, Threat of Storms – June 24, 2013

The Detroit News

 June 24, 2013 at 1:00 am

Summer starts in Metro Detroit with heat wave, threat of storms

Sweltering temperatures arrived on cue for the start of summer and things aren’t cooling down anytime soon, forecasters say.

After enjoying mild weather through mid-June, Metro Detroiters faced a heat wave, according to the National Weather Service in White Lake Township.

On Friday, the first day of summer, it was 86 and cloudy. The normal high is 82 degrees.

The heat wave continued Sunday as temperatures reached 89 at Metro Airport in Romulus and City Airport.

“It will pretty much stay warm until about next weekend,” meteorologist Rachel Kulik said. “Then, it should drop down to upper 70s by Saturday.”

Monday’s temperatures will be about 88with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms tonight, which could impact the annual Detroit fireworks, which are expected to begin at 10:06.

Temperatures will stay at 88 Tuesday with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms during the day and 30 percent chance at night. There could be more thunderstorms the rest of the week, but the heat will start tapering off a couple of degrees Wednesday and continue to drop to the low 80s Thursday and Friday, the weather service said.

The extreme weather across the country has contributed to the deaths of 15 children after they were left in vehicles in 2013, according to the San Francisco State University Department of Geosciences. There have been no child heat-related deaths reported in Michigan. The university warned that temperatures at 80 degrees can make the inside of a car as hot as 99 degrees within 10 minutes.

The Animal Care Network out of Pontiac said they have found dogs and cats suffering from heat stroke in Pontiac and Inkster in hot cars as well as outdoors. To keep pets safe, the group advises owners not to leave pets in cars, keep fresh water easily available and provide a shaded spot if they must remain outdoors.

Last year’s average summer temperature of 74.8 tied with 2005 as the hottest on record since the weather service began recording temperatures in 1874. There were 30 days where temperatures were 90-plus degrees.

So far in June, Metro Detroit has received 3.43 inches of rain, slightly above the normal 2.63 inches. So far this year, the region has had 18.28 inches, over the normal 15.17 inches.

Last year, the Midwest experienced extreme drought conditions with only 13.04 inches of rain through June 23, 2012.

tbriscoe@detroitnews.com
(313) 222-2541

From The Detroit News:http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130624/METRO08/306240015#ixzz2XtF5tGEq

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