Lost in the aftermath of American Electric Power’s decision to cut power to tens-of-thousands is the lingering whispers amongst some weather experts that Columbus may have witnessed its hottest moment in its history during the afternoon of June 15th.
It’s debatable whether that fateful day was the hottest ever, but when considering how high the humidity was, it’s an argument for the ages, or in the forthcoming weeks, depending on when the next heatwave hits.
Nevertheless, welcome to what others are saying is just a taste of what it’s like to be a climate change refugee in Central Ohio. Don’t forget that AEP’s intentional blackout was partially due to 75 miles-per-hour wind gusts on June 14th which knocked out transmission lines.
During the afternoon of June 15th, the heat index in Columbus – defined as “what the temperature feels like” – reached 115 degrees, according to the NWS in Wilmington. There have been only two higher hourly heat index values over 115 degrees since 1945 – in July of 1995 (117 degrees) and July of 1980 (116 degrees).
