Heat rises to hazardous levels this week

National Weather Service graphic

A heat advisory is in effect from noon Monday, July 10, through 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 12, according to the National Weather Service.

The prolonged heat spell will see temperatures rising to the lower to middle 90s, with heat index values between 102 and 107 for much of the area, the weather service said.

The highest heat index values will be across northeast Kansas and northwest Missouri, where a heat advisory is in effect through Wednesday, according to the weather service.

The weather service advised residents to wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothes, drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun and check on relatives and neighbors. Schedule strenuous outdoor activities to early morning or evening when possible.

A cold front may move into the region Thursday and Friday, and provide some relief from the heat, the weather service said. If the front is slower to move in, or does not arrive, then the dangerous heat could continue into Thursday or Friday.

Thunderstorms will be possible along and ahead of the front late Wednesday into Friday, according to the weather service. The threat for strong or severe storms appears low at this time.

Today’s Wyandotte County forecast is sunny with a high near 94 and a heat index as high as 103, the weather service said. A south southwest wind of 11 to 16 mph may gust as high as 20 mph.

Tonight, it will be mostly clear with a low of 75, according to the weather service. There will be a south southwest wind of 7 to 9 mph, gusting to 20 mph.

Tuesday, expect sunny skies with a high near 96, and a heat index as high as 105, the weather service said. There will be a south wind of 7 to 10 mph.

Tuesday night, there will be a low of 76 with a south wind of 8 to 10 mph, according to the weather service.

Wednesday, it will be mostly sunny with a high of 96 and a south southwest wind of 8 to 10 mph, the weather service said.

Wednesday night, expect a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 75.

Thursday, it will be partly sunny with a high near 91, the weather service said.

Thursday night, there is a 60 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 1 a.m., according to the weather service. The low will be around 72.

Friday, expect a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 1 p.m., the weather service said. The high will be near 90.

Friday night, it will be partly cloudy with a low of 72, according to the weather service.

Saturday, the high will be near 92 with mostly sunny skies, the weather service said.

Saturday night, there will be a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, according to the weather service. The low will be around 30.

Sunday, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 89, the weather service said.

Patterson, Cerner chairman and CEO, dies

Neal Patterson (Photo from Cerner Corp.)

Neal Patterson, the chairman and CEO of Cerner Corp., died Sunday, July 9, according to an announcement by Cerner.

Patterson died from unexpected complications that arose after a recurrence of a previously disclosed cancer, according to the announcement.

Cliff Illig, Cerner co-founder and vice chairman of the board, was named chairman and interim CEO.

“This is a profound loss. Neal and I have been partners and collaborators for nearly 40 years, and friends for longer than that,” Illig said in a Cerner news release. “Neal loved waking up every morning at the intersection of health care and IT. His entrepreneurial passion for using IT as a lever to eliminate error, variance, delay, waste and friction changed our industry.”

Patterson also was one of the principals of Sporting Club, the owner of the Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer club that plays its matches in Kansas City, Kansas.

Cerner’s board had a long-standing succession plan in place, and is in the process of selecting a new CEO, according to the Cerner statement.

“One of Neal’s enduring ambitions for Cerner was to build a visionary company, not just a company with a visionary,” Illig said. “He has done that. We have what I believe is the best management team in health IT, and we have associates who think as much about the future as they do the present. As a result, Cerner is well-positioned to have a pioneering impact on the provision of health care in the years to come.”