Heat advisory, rip current warnings in place for Myrtle Beach through busy July 4 weekend

The National Weather Service is warning people to take note of dangerously hot conditions if they plan to spend much time outside through the July 4 holiday.

And if you’re in the Myrtle Beach area, be careful in the ocean: A rip current warning is also in place.

Temperatures across the Grand Strand aren’t expected to eclipse 90 degrees this week, but the heat index could make it feel as hot as 110, government forecasters said this week.

A heat index between 103 and 124 degrees is classified as “dangerous,” with higher risks of heat-related cramping and exhaustion along with heat stroke from prolonged exposure to the elements.

The National Weather Service on Saturday issued advisories for more than a dozen states from Oregon to Florida as a heatwave has continued its coast-to-cast clampdown.

It’s not just the sun that could be hazardous, however. According to the National Weather Service, rip currents have caused 55 drownings so far this year, including two last month locally.

Essentially underwater treadmills, rip currents don’t pull people under water but instead force them farther from the shore.

It can be hard to tell if you’re caught in one, but if while attempting to swim back toward the shore no progress is being made, you could be caught in one.

Try swimming sideways to escape the flow. If you can’t escape, float or tread water and wave or yell for help.

On June 6, 16-year-old Tre’Sean Snow of Fayetteville, N.C., drowned at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet while attempting to rescue a child caught up in the water.

Then on June 21, Darrell Lambert, 70, died attempting to save his grandchild from a current at a Pawleys Island beach.

The National Weather Service reported that on July 1, rescuers across the Carolinas responded to 88 rip current-related calls, including one in Myrtle Beach. No further information on that incident was immediately available.