Oppressive heat moving away, but another round is coming

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - Dangerously high temperatures that may be to blame for as many as five deaths in the Kansas City area will subside late Wednesday, but not before bringing Kansas City’s first real heat wave in three years.

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The NBC Action Weather Center defines a heat wave as any three-day stretch seeing highs above 95, and meteorologist Brett Anthony says we should hit that mark again Wednesday. An excessive heat warning remained in effect for Kansas City and all surrounding areas Wednesday afternoon.

The projected high of just 95 may feel nice to some, after two days that saw downtown temperatures hit 100 degrees and heat indices soaring to near 115 degrees.

The beastly conditions have resulted in dozens of ambulance calls for those suffering from heat-related illnesses

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Kansas City Health Department spokesman Jeff Hershberger says medical examiners are investigating whether a fourth death could be heat-related. He says Jackson County authorities are looking into two deaths reported Monday , another reported Tuesday and the fourth reported early Wednesday.

City officials have not released any information about the deaths, including the names, ages or gender of those who died.

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Across the state line, in Bonner Springs, Kansas, a Wichita man died Monday while attending the Van's Warped Tour concert at Sandstone Ampitheater. Authorities haven’t said how 26-year-old Curtis A. DeForest died.

In a statement on their website , Sandstone officials say they took appropriate measures to prepare for the extreme heat.

Brett says we’ll great a break for the next few days from the mid to upper-90s, with highs through the weekend only reaching the upper 80s, but warns another warm front is headed our way.

Brett says it’s just as strong as what moved through the region this week and we could once again see thermometers move toward 100 degrees early next week.

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The temperatures this week are the hottest we’ve seen since Aug. 15, 2007, when it hit 102 degrees at Kansas City International Airport. Brett says that’s when we saw our last heat wave.

Hershberger says that year, 11 heat-related deaths were reported in Kansas City, with just three more each in 2008 and 2009.