Excessive Heatwave Danger in WA: Wildfire Season, Railway Impacts, and Heatstroke Safety

When the weather starts getting so hot that you stay indoors as much as possible lest you get heat stroke**, you know that Washington has entered its 5th weather season: Wildfire Season. It's here, happening already in small towns like Quincy and Cle Elum, and it's all thanks to the crazy weather we're having.

In case you missed the 'memo', we're in an unprecedented heatwave.

Unprecedented Heatwave in Washington State Caused by 'Heat Dome'

The extremely hot temperatures as of late could cause something unusual to happen in Seattle and King County: Sound Transit light rails might need to operate on a heat-induced safety precaution delay. It has happened a handful of times before.

Why Excessive Heat May Cause Train and Light Rail Delays

When the weather gets hot, the heat causes the steel on train tracks and light rails to expand. This could cause accidents in the rail system, so Sound Transit will slow down the speeds of rails. That is why you might experience a bit of delay in scheduled arrival times when this happens.

In the event of travel delays due to inclement weather, construction, or mechanical reasons, make sure to check out Sound Transit's alert system before you travel.

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Read More: Heatwave in Washington State, Don’t Make These 5 Car Mistakes

Ways to Stay Safe During a Heatwave

The US National Weather Service Seattle recommends we do the following things to stay cool for the next couple of months. No matter what part of Washington you might live, you could get heatstroke or suffer from heat exhaustion if you are not careful!

**Signs of Heat Stroke include confusion, passing out, and feeling dizzy!