Photo: National Weather Service DSM
(Des Moines, IA) -- An extreme heat warning is in effect for central Iowa today from noon to 8 p.m.
"A lot of humidity out there with these overnight storms, and that's going to send the 'feels like' temperature even higher. So we do have an extreme warning out for this afternoon for a good portion of Iowa. We are looking at heat indices exceeding 110, maybe up to 115," said Meteorologist Brooke Haginhoff.
Polk County's extreme temperature plan went into effect this morning, increasing access to homeless shelters and cooling centers to help people stay out of the heat. Over 30 cooling centers across the Des Moines metro will be open for residents. Locations include public libraries, community centers, and malls in the Des Moines metro. Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) buses will also be offering free access to these locations for those who need it.
Haginhoff says more thunderstorms are expected tonight into Tuesday, with a third round on Wednesday that will finally break the extreme heat. Daily high temperatures will drop to the 70s after Tuesday.