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USVI Faces Extended Heatwave Threat as Forecasters Predict Intense Heat Stress Through October

As the territory puts Ernesto in the rear view mirror, the beginning of the week brought a different weather concern: a heat advisory was issued for the USVI on Monday, and there will likely be more to come, with the Caribbean Climate Outlook Forum predicting intense heat for the next three to six months. “Near-record heat causing significant heat stress can be expected until October,” CariCOF says in its latest Heat Outlook (Aug ‘24 to Jan ‘25). The peak of the regional heat season, from now until October, is forecast to be “considerably hotter than usual,” with “intense…night-time and daytime heat,” increasing in humidity as September draws closer. The intense heat environment could result in “frequent, very likely intense (and persistent) episodes of heat stress in the vulnerable population & small livestock” according to CariCOF. The organization is predicting at least 30 heatwave days between now and October for the USVI and surrounding islands. During the Government House pres...