How to Check Heat and Storm Guidance Before You Go

You can read a hot day and a stormy day through the same lens: what heat does to the body and what wind and hail do to roofs, plants and trees. The National Weather Service pages on heat and severe thunderstorms set out who faces more risk, what counts as severe, and what you can check before, during, and after.

Who faces more risk when heat builds

Heat can be very taxing on the body and can lead to heat-related illnesses or make existing health conditions worse. Everyone can be vulnerable to heat, but some people are more vulnerable than others. The heat page points to The Impacts Of Climate Change On Human Health In The United States: A Scientific Assessment to name groups that need a check-in, especially if they do not have air conditioning.

Young children and infants are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness and death, as their bodies are less able to adapt to heat than adults are. Older adults exposed to extreme heat can experience multiple adverse effects, particularly those who have pre-existing diseases, take certain medications, live alone, or have limited mobility. People with chronic medical conditions are more likely to have a serious health problem during a heat wave than healthy people. Pregnant women are also at higher risk, and extreme heat events have been associated with adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm birth, and infant mortality, as well as congenital cataracts. The page asks you to check in with friends and relatives who fall into one of these populations.

Why is a locked car never a safe place?

The safety note on children, pets, and vehicles states that it is never safe to leave a child, disabled person, or pet locked in a car, even in the winter. If you have a toddler in your household, lock your cars, even in your own driveway. Kids may play in cars or wander outside and get into a car, and can die in 10 minutes.

31 children were reported to have died in hot cars in 2025. Deaths are routinely reported as early as April and tragedies continue into December in southern states. The heat page points to more detail on how cars can heat up quickly when left in the sun, with information and resources in both English and Spanish from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. When you plan what a street festival day holds, include that vehicle check in the same day.

What does the heat page say about fast-warming cars?

Cars can heat up quickly when left in the sun. The page links to the work of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in English and Spanish. You can read the full guidance in the heat safety tips and resources and follow its links on children, pets, and vehicles. Lock parked cars in the driveway when a toddler lives in the household.

How does the weather service define a severe thunderstorm?

Severe thunderstorms are officially defined as storms that are capable of producing hail that is an inch or larger, or wind gusts over 58 mph. Hail this size can damage property such as plants, roofs, and vehicles. Wind this strong is able to break off large branches, knock over trees, or cause structural damage to trees. You can hold those two numbers together when you read a forecast, one for hail size and one for wind speed.

Some severe thunderstorms can produce hail larger than softballs or winds over 100 mph, so the page asks you to pay attention to the weather so you know when severe storms are possible. That attention fits a day outside. For route and timing, use reaching Second Street and the riverfront alongside the forecast.

What else arrives with thunderstorms besides wind and hail?

Thunderstorms also produce tornadoes and dangerous lightning, and heavy rain can cause flash flooding. These hazards are covered in more detail on the tornado, lightning safety, and flood safety websites. The thunderstorm page keeps the severe definition on hail and wind while sending you to those pages for the other risks.

The site is designed to teach you how to stay safe in a severe thunderstorm. If you know what to do before, during, and after severe weather, you can increase your chances of survival. You will also find links to research, past events, other topics of interest, and downloadable resources about thunderstorms, lightning, and tornadoes.

How can you use before, during, and after guidance?

The pages come from the National Weather Service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, with a safety office at 1325 East West Highway in Silver Spring, MD 20910. The heat page centers on body effects, vulnerable groups, and vehicle risk, while the thunderstorm page centers on hail and wind thresholds and related hazards. The two National Weather Service pages do not publish local parking or program times, so confirm those with town pages before you go.

Lock the cars in the driveway, check in with one friend or relative who has no air conditioning, and pay attention to the weather so you know when a severe storm is possible.