Heat kills two more people in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS — Two more people have succumbed to the blistering heat that has settled over the region for two weeks.

The latest heat fatalities in St. Louis were older men, the city said Wednesday. The city did not release the victim’s names.

One victim is a 60-year-old man who was found by a neighbor inside his home Monday, the city said. He lived alone and had no air conditioning or fan.

The second victim is a 76-year-old man who was found Tuesday, the city said. He had no air conditioner, but a fan was in use.

That brings to five the number of deaths in St. Louis from the August heat wave.

The others are an 81-year-old man, a 73-year-old woman and an 88-year-old man.

State health officials said the death of a 47-year-old Jackson County man also was believed to be due to the heat.

Three heat-related deaths have also been reported on the Illinois side of the St. Louis area.

Mayor Francis Slay urged citizens to check on family, friends and neighbors to ensure their safety.

“If you suspect one of your neighbors might need help, don’t take any chances,” he said. “Call the United Way hot line on their behalf and we will check on them.”

The city said it has checked on thousands of residents and bought and installed more than 300 window air conditioners and 125 fans since the heat wave began July 31.

The temperature at Lambert Airport in St. Louis was expected to reach 103 Wednesday, just shy of the record of 104 degrees set in 1936.

When can we expect a break?

“Toward winter,” National Weather Service specialist Butch Dye said.

Highs for the next few days were forecast to be in the lower to mid-90s, which is still one to 3 degrees above normal for this time of year.

Dye couldn’t promise that the heat warning would be dropped, saying the expected cool-down is not that significant.

Thursday’s temperatures should push 100 degrees. Friday should be in the mid-90s. Saturday will be down to around 90.

Saturday through Tuesday will see a high of 90 and a low of 70. There’s a slight chance of showers Sunday through Monday.