The National Weather Service is calling the events in Ogallala and Valentine overnight, “unusual.”

According to the Weather Service, two separate heat burst occurred in Ogallala and Valentine during the overnight hours of Wednesday, September 3, and Thursday, September 4.

The first heat burst occurred just before midnight on Wednesday, in Ogallala.

Meteorologists say the heat burst caused the temperature to suddenly rise from right around 70 degrees to 90 degrees.

The second heat burst, in Valentine, caused the temperature to rise from 77 degrees to right around 92 degrees.

Officials say heat bursts are localized, sudden increases in surface temperatures associated with dying thunderstorms.  They say the storms produce extreme drying and heating of the underlying air, which causes a substantial rise in local temperatures near the thunderstorm.

The NWS has confirmed that dying thunderstorms were present in and around the Ogallala and Valentine areas prior to the sudden temperature rise.

More information on heat bursts can be found here.