By Lauren Gallup, Bainbridge Island Review

How the county is adapting and what to do to prepare yourself for the heat

The recent heatwave killed four people in Kitsap County, and weather experts predict we could see more record temperatures in the future.

Karin Bumbaco, the assistant state climatologist, said heatwaves during the day, and particularly an increase in nighttime temperatures, are something we should expect to see as part of a warming climate.

The Office of the Washington State Climatologist completed a study a decade ago, and it found that nighttime temperatures in the state were trending higher. For the study, an increase in temperatures was defined as three consecutive days above the 99th percentile for temperature, Bumbaco said.

The faster rise in minimum temperatures is something being seen nationally, Bumbaco said. The trend can be attributed to climate change — more specifically to an increase of water vapor in the atmosphere, which keeps the earth’s temperature higher.

At the time the study was completed, they did not see a trend in increased daytime temperatures. The study, however, did not include record heat temperatures from 2015 or 2018. Bumbaco said her office is actively updating the research.

Seeing these trends occurring over the past few years, county officials are planning how to be better prepared in emergency situations.