Severe weather across Wisconsin will become hot, humid starting Tuesday

A heat advisory will be in effect for all of southern Wisconsin Tuesday, and it is expected to continue through Wednesday evening for most of the area.

Highs in the mid-90s are expected throughout the southern part of the state Tuesday and Wednesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Ben Miller.

“Couple that with higher levels of humidity, and it’s certainly going to feel uncomfortable out there,” he said.

Taking humidity into account, it’s expected to feel like 102 to 106 degrees on Tuesday, Miller said. Wednesday will have more cloud cover and an approaching cold front but will still feel like 100 to 105 degrees in southeast Wisconsin.

The heat has prompted Milwaukee Public Schools to close early on Tuesday. According to the district’s website, “Young children and persons with certain health conditions are especially vulnerable to heat-related distress.”

Storms that could become severe are expected to push through the state on the leading edge of the heat wave Monday afternoon and evening, Miller said, with hail being the biggest potential threat. A number of power outages were reported Monday afternoon, including more than 17,000 Madison Gas and Electric customers and more than 650 Alliant Energy customers. We Energies was reporting nearly 43,000 customers were without power in southeastern Wisconsin Monday evening.

This week’s heat may come close to setting a record, Miller said, but is not completely out of the ordinary for this time of year. He recommended people who do need to be outdoors drink lots of non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages and wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing.

“It was a pretty cool spring that lasted well into April and early May,” Miller said. “So our bodies aren’t accustomed to this kind of heat and humidity.”

Miller also recommended staying in the shade and staying out of the heat altogether, if possible.

“If you have air conditioning and you haven’t tested it out yet, (today is) probably the day to do it,” he said.

Nick Tomaro, emergency preparedness environmental health director for the Milwaukee health department, said heat exhaustion and heat stroke are two potential risks of high temperatures.

“Think about the activity you’re doing outside, think about children, think about the elderly, think about pets,” he said. “Be prepared.”

A number of public spaces including libraries, senior centers, and shopping malls will be open for people who need to cool off, Tomaro said.