How hot was it in Hazard on Friday? Hot enough to bake cookies, apparently.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Hazard showed a temperature reading of 102 degrees at the Hazard airport Friday afternoon. That was plenty hot enough to bake a batch of cookies inside a car, as the photo accompanying this story, of the inside of Editor Cris Ritchie's vehicle, illustrates.
There is bad news, however, as the NWS forecast shows highs of 91 degrees or more for Perry County through Friday, July 6. A heat advisory is also in effect until midnight on Saturday, with ongoing drought conditions expected. And that means an elevated risk of wildfires, which is certainly unusual for this time of year. According news reports on Friday, crews have already battled several fires, including one in Perry County earlier this week.
“It has been nearly 25 years since we have seen this number of wildfires in the month of June,” said Leah MacSwords, director of Kentucky Division of Forestry. “It’s quite simple, the drier it gets, the higher the fire danger. We need the public to understand that any activity that creates a spark can easily result in a wildfire right now. More importantly, if we don’t see a break in the drought, the wildfires in this state will not only continue, they will worsen.”
The high temperatures also cause concerns about health related issues such as heat stroke and dehydration, and officials caution anyone working outside to drink plenty of water and take regular breaks.
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