A second substantial heat wave since the beginning of summer is expected to roll across the Commonwealth this week. It could be the precursor for increasingly dry conditions.
Weather forecasts for the central Kentucky area call for temperature readings close to triple digits later this week. Matt Dixon is an agriculture meteorologist at the University of Kentucky. He said a heat wave in August is not that out of the ordinary. But, Dixon added it could set the stage for rougher conditions.
“I always say you have two weeks of dry conditions during the summer months..probably gonna start seeing some abnormally dry conditions, maybe even drought start popping up again,” said Dixon.
Dixon noted the heat stress on livestock can be concerning. He said cattle drink up to 20 gallons of water each day. And Dixon added conditions like heat exhaustion or heat stroke can sneak up on the humans caring for farm animals.
“We don’t want to work cattle. We don’t want to transport cattle in the middle of the day..reserve that for the early morning hours. A problem with this heat wave that is concerning is the fact that there’s not much recovery at night,” said Dixon.
Dixon said this type of heat event can also mean high evaporation rates and that can be a concern related to a possible drought.
Here's more of the comments from Matt Dixon:
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