Read more: Local, Weather, Health, Heat, Elderly, Forecast, Temperatures
COLUMBIA (WACH, AP) -- The South is roasting under temperatures and humidity that make beaches feel more like a bakehouse, and heat advisories were posted from the Atlantic to the Great Plains.
Forecasts for Friday highs were mainly in the upper 90s. The heat index, which adds humidity and temperature to measure how it feels, was well over 100 degrees from South Carolina to eastern Oklahoma.
The National Weather Service urged people to stay out of the sun, drink fluids and get some air conditioning.
Hot summers are nothing new for the South. But forecasters say high humidity from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic is exacerbating the pain. It's been hot for days, too.
The excessive heat across the state is hitting the elderly especially hard.
Elizabeth Spencer runs the Elder Support Line for the Charleston police and says she's receiving 50 calls a day about seniors who need help coping with the oppressive heat.
In one case, she says an elderly person living in a small apartment had a $600 electric bill. The problem was an inefficient window air conditioner running almost nonstop attempting to keep the place cool.
Spencer says she has never felt heat like this in Charleston in her almost two decades with the department.
We've seen little relief from the high heat over the past few weeks but forecasters say this weekend may bring slightly cooler temperatures to the region.
After days of heat advisories and heat indexes above 100 degrees, WACH Fox Weather Anchor Justin Kier says to expect a reprieve from the heat but an increased chance for storms Saturday and Sunday.
Visit our Weather Page for the full forecast and tips to stay safe in the summer heat.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
