Study: More hot South Carolina days on the way

HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WPDE) — A study by the non-profit organization The Union of Concerned Scientists shows across the United States we could soon see more hot days.

That includes South Carolina.

In South Carolina, "historically, there have been 14 days per year on average with a heat index above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This would increase to 64 days per year on average by midcentury and 97 by the century’s end," the study states.

It doesn't stop there. The study goes on to say cities with populations greater than 50,000 such as Florence would see the highest frequency of these type of days.

"Historically, there has been an average of five days per year with a heat index above 105 degrees Fahrenheit. This would increase to 36 days per year on average by midcentury and 71 by the century’s end," the study states about South Carolina.

ABC 15's Chief Meteorologist Ed Piotrowski said while it's unclear what the future holds, this is a trend he is seeing.

"It seems to be right on par with other studies that have been done by climate scientists that basically state the Earth has been warming and that heatwaves in the summer will be more frequent and more intense," he said.

Piotrowski said we have seen warmer days in our area.

"Over the past 30 years, we've noticed temperatures getting hotter. We've noticed 10 more days at 95 or higher than we did 30 years ago," he said.

The news of potentially more frequent days like today didn't sit well with everyone.

"I just can't do it some days and if it's like that all the time, I don’t know what I would do," 12-year-old Molly Pruitt said.

Despite the heat and humidity, some would still choose the heat over the cold.

“You can be out more. I mean, I don’t really want to do anything when it's cold," Elizabeth Lacey said.

To read the full study, click here.