Delaware County 911 saw an uptick in calls for service related to heat during last month’s week of high temperatures.
The National Weather Service reports that the middle of June had a prolonged heat wave leading to a week of 90-plus degree weather. The service issued a heat advisory last month and projected that the heat index would reach over 100 on some days.
“Daytime highs were nearly 10-15 degrees above normal values during this stretch,” the Wilmington Ohio branch of the service wrote in its report on June 2024’s climate. “Lows would only be able to bottom out in the lower to middle 70s.”
The report said the maximum temperature of the heat wave in Columbus occurred on June 21 when temperatures reached 96 degrees.
Lauren Yankanin, the director of DELCOMM, the county’s emergency communications department, reported Tuesday there were 20 heat-related medical calls for service between June 1 and July 2. During the same time period last year, the center had four calls, Yankanin said.
Yankanin added that during the week of June 16-22, when the heat wave occurred, there were 12 heat-related illness calls. For the same period of time in 2023, there was one, Yankanin reported.
The National Weather Service forecasted that July has an increased likelihood of above normal temperatures across the Ohio Valley and projects a normal average temperature of 75.4 degrees with a normal high of 85.4 degrees.
Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.
