Excessive Heat Forecast to Continue This Week Across USVI, Puerto Rico

The National Weather Service (NWS) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has warned that hot temperatures will continue for several days across portions of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Limited amounts of Saharan dust may also be present in the atmosphere.

“Hot and humid conditions will continue, with an elevated-to-significant [level of] heat risk, particularly across lower elevations of the islands, according to an update on Monday from the NWS. “The aerosol [computer forecast] models [which predict particles in the air] also indicate slight concentrations of Saharan dust in the area, so skies may look gray and hazy at times today through Wednesday,” the NWS continued.

An area of high pressure over the islands, combined with a mass of dry air, has contributed to the elevated temperatures. The NWS explained that the high level of heat can be dangerous, especially for individuals without access to air conditioning.

“This level of heat affects anyone without effective cooling or adequate hydration. Impacts [are] likely [to occur] in some health systems, heat-sensitive industries, and infrastructure,” the NWS explained.

Regarding the possible effects on infrastructure, electrical outages may be possible due to surging power demand during hot weather. A recent Source article explained why the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority implemented fuel conservation measures at the beginning of September—including WAPA’s scheduled rotating power outages—to mitigate the use of fuel resources during periods of high demand for electricity to power items such as air conditioners.