National Weather Service Highlights Significant Illness Risk Under Extreme Heat Warning
Official weather records warn that extreme heat and high humidity will significantly increase heat-related illnesses across 26 zones in Louisiana and Mississippi.
2 reports on this incident · first at Aug 17, 2026, 5:12 p.m. ET
Hazard products are revised and cancelled as conditions change. Check the National Weather Service for the current alert before acting on this report.
We last searched for new coverage of this at Aug 17, 2026, 4:13 p.m. ET — checked 17h ago.
Earlier reports
Aug 17, 2026, 5:12 p.m. ETFirst report
Extreme Heat Warning for St. James, St. John the Baptist, Upper St. Bernard and 23 Other Zones Begins 11 A.M. Tuesday
An Extreme Heat Warning takes effect at 11 a.m. CDT Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, and expires at 8 p.m. CDT the same day for portions of southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi, according to the alert record issued by the National Weather Service New Orleans LA. The warning is not in force at the time of writing; it begins Tuesday morning.
The record states that dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 115 are expected. The warning covers 26 zones, including St. James, St. John The Baptist, Upper St. Bernard, Southeast St. Tammany, Western Orleans, Eastern Orleans, Northern St. Tammany, Southwestern St. Tammany, Central Tangipahoa, Lower Tangipahoa, Northern Livingston, Southern Livingston, Western Ascension, Eastern Ascension, Upper Jefferson, Upper Plaquemines, Central Jefferson, Upper St. Charles, Central St. Charles, Lower St. Charles, Northern Hancock, Northern Harrison, Northern Jackson, Southern Hancock, Southern Harrison and Southern Jackson.
Communities named in the record include Belle Chasse, Westwego, Metairie, Lyman, Vancleave, Robert, Slidell, East New Orleans, St. Martin, Laplace, Gramercy, Independence, Ponchatoula, Diamondhead, Gretna, Destrehan, Kenner, Pass Christian, Geismar, Bonnet Carre Spillway, Biloxi, Moss Point, Saucier, Sorrento and Madisonville.
The same record describes two Extreme Heat Warnings: the first running until 8 p.m. CDT this evening, and the second — the one covering Tuesday — running from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT Tuesday. Readers checking after 8 p.m. CDT Tuesday should note that the Tuesday warning will have expired by then unless the weather service issues a new product.
According to the National Weather Service, heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat and high humidity events.
Official precautions in the record advise drinking plenty of fluids, staying in an air-conditioned room, staying out of the sun, and checking up on relatives and neighbors. The guidance says not to leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles, warning that car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. It also advises taking extra precautions when outside, wearing lightweight and loose fitting clothing, limiting strenuous activities to early morning or evening, and taking action at the first symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
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Revision history
- Version 117 Aug 2026, 21:25current
First published.
- Version 117 Aug 2026, 21:12current
First published.
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