Health Implications of Warming Nights
Avoid the temptation to take a test, apply for a job or ask for a raise when the mercury tops 90F. A recent Harvard study showed a 13 percent drop in test scores during heat waves with implications for millions of people suffering diminished cognitive function, one expert explained. Yep, the heat makes us dumber.
According to NOAA, nighttime temperatures are warming faster than daytime readings. Cooler nighttime temperatures allow our bodies to “reset” and recover from tropical daytime highs, as buildings and houses cool. But when nights stay above 80F internal body temperatures don’t have a chance to cool off. This poses the greatest risk to infants, the elderly and the chronically ill.
Models show a significant puff of cool, clean, Canadian air next week. Highs may hold in the 70s, with nighttime lows in the 50s the latter half of next week. Yes please!
In the meantime swarms of storms will rumble across Minnesota. Up to an inch of rain may fall tonight, with thunder into the weekend.
Even so, the worst of the heat stays to our south, and no storms with names are in sight.
