A heat advisory is in effect Thursday for south Arkansas, the National Weather Service said.
The advisory, in effect from noon to 7 p.m., affects a swath of the state running roughly south of a line from Mena to Arkadelphia to Dumas, forecasters said. In that area, afternoon and early evening heat indexes are expected to reach 105 degrees to 109 degrees Fahrenheit.
North of that area, in the western and central parts of the state, the heat will also be on Thursday, but lower temperatures will prevail through Saturday and hot weather will return Sunday, forecasters said.
Forecasters advise drinking plenty of fluids, staying out of the sun and in air conditioning when possible, and checking on relatives and neighbors.