Yesterday and today (August 26-27), eastern Iowa has been under an excessive heat warning, which will last until 8 p.m. tonight.

If this isn't the most Iowa weather thing we've seen all summer, I don't know what is. For most of the middle of August, we've seen some of the best weather you can experience during Iowa summers. We were pleasantly enjoying our days with temperatures in the mid 70s. The Iowa State Fair set a new attendance record and I'm sure the incredible weather is part of the reason why. If it was this hot during the state fair being open, there's no chance a new record is et.

For 3 weeks, our AC units got a bit of a break and weren't forced to run as hard. We could get our outside chores done in shorts and a t-shirt, we didn't immediately sweat the second we walked out our front door, and we knew our pets would be comfortable/safe spending time outside. Yesterday and today are two great reminders that summer is clearly not over and the heat can still be dangerous, even if we've been enjoying a very comfortable August.

Get our free mobile app

The good news for eastern Iowa is that there are cooling centers across eastern Iowa open to people who need a break from the heat. For whatever reason you need to get out of the sun and into an air conditioned room, you'll be able to find a huge list of centers in Linn County and/or Dubuque.

CBS Iowa has compiled a massive list of places for you and/or your family to visit if you need to get inside and out of the sun.

If you live near Dubuque or Linn County, you should be able to find a library, a hall, a mall, Community Support Service, church, police lobby, etc., that will help keep you safe while Iowa sits under a massive heat wave.

What is a Heat Index?

A heat index is sometimes referred to as the "apparent temperature." The heat index is comparable to the wind chill in the winter. While your thermometer or phone might tell you the temperature is 94, that isn't necessarily what it will feel like when you go outside.

The heat index is what temperature it feels like when you go outside. When you combine the humidity with the air temperature, it can feel much hotter outside than what the temperature is. Yesterday (August 26) from 2p.m to 4p.m, much of eastern Iowa had a temperature somewhere between 95-98 degrees. When you stepped outside, the heat index was closure to 110-115 degrees. 94 doesn't sound so bad when you compare it to 110 degrees...

For example; at the time of writing this article, Cedar Rapids has an outside temperature of 91 degrees, with a heat index temperature of 98 degrees, according to US Air Net.

Stay safe and get to an area where you can stay cool today. We should get back to the lower 80s by the end of this week.