By admin 
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — After issuing a heat advisory for central North Carolina for Friday, the National Weather Service early this morning increased the advisory to an extreme heat warning for several counties, including Wake, Durham, and Orange.
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The heat advisory and extreme heat warning are in addition to a Code Orange air quality day in three counties for ground ozone.
The weather service already made the heat advisory decision on Thursday for the times between noon and 8 p.m. Friday for all of North Carolina east of the foothills.
However, very hot temperatures forecast for northern areas of the state spurred forecasters early Friday morning to issue an extreme heat warning in some areas during the same period on Friday.
High temps are forecast to hit 101 degrees on Friday in the Raleigh area.
Forecasters say the temperatures in the warning area will feel like 110 degrees, while the advisory area will seem like 107 degrees.
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The warning and advisory are both active between noon and 8 p.m.
The warning is for the following areas of central North Carolina:
- Person County
- Granville County
- Vance County
- Warren County
- Halifax County
- Orange County
- Durham County
- Franklin County
- Nash County
- Edgecombe County
- Chatham County
- Wake County
- Wilson County
- Northampton County
The heat advisory applies to all areas of North Carolina, except the mountains and stretches along the beaches.
A Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ground ozone has also been issued for Friday between noon and 8 p.m. for Wake, Durham, and Granville counties, according to CBS 17 Storm Team Chief Meteorologist Wes Hohenstein.
Hohenstein said the scorching heat could set new records.
“This weekend could be the hottest 4th of July on record for central North Carolina, with a heat index near 110 degrees on Saturday,” Hohenstein said. “Most of us already know the hottest Independence Day on record because it happened in 2024 when RDU Airport hit 101 degrees.”
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