Weekend Extreme Heat Watch Issued For Eastern Iowa And Western Illinois

It's going to be a good weekend to jump in a pool.

It seemed like a fairly cool May but that's gone for sure. If you thought you were spending all weekend outside (like me) you may need to check your plans. We're heading into the hottest stretch of weather we've had to deal with so far this year.

Some places are already dealing with issues. A lawn-watering ban was just put into effect for certain central Iowa areas.

That Bad Timing: Central Iowa's First Ever Ban On Watering Lawns Not Ending Soon

Chunks of both Iowa and Illinois are about to deal with heat indices that could reach over 105°. You see how much red is on this map?

That red means it's gonna be hot. And not the good hot, the sunburned and stuck-to-the-chair hot. Because of that, National Weather Service Quad Cities issued an Extreme Heat Watch. That applies to all of those areas you see in red.

The watch affects the counties of:

• Buchanan
• Delaware
• Dubuque
• Benton
• Linn
• Jones
• Jackson
• Iowa
• Johnson
• Cedar
• Clinton
• Muscatine
• Scott
• Keokuk
• Washington
• Louisa
• Jefferson
• Henry
• Des Moines
• Van Buren
• Rock Island
• Mercer

The watch is in effect from Saturday afternoon until Sunday night. NWS says it's not going to cool off much even at night, with lows in the mid-70's.

What To Do

NWS suggests drinking plenty of liquids this weekend (hydrating ones, not booze ya goofs), stay in air-conditioned rooms, stay out of the sun, and check on relatives and neighbors.

If you have to do work outside, tag-team it with someone so you can take breaks.

They also warn that the risk of heat-related illnesses increases significantly with this hot weather coming through.

Even though the watch is through Sunday night as of now, there is the potential for the hot weather to extend into early next week.