Our first long-lasting heat wave is here! A summertime ridge of high pressure (heat wave) is building over Kentuckiana through this weekend, and actually through much of next week.
Notice the hot colors and the "hump" or ridge persisting and getting even stronger through next Thursday, July 5th!
Expect heat index values to range from 95 to 105 degrees. The hottest numbers will likely be west, and a little less hot east.
FRIDAY:
SATURDAY:
Notice, the heat index will stay oppressive through next week.
...and the high humidity (high dew points) will stay put through next week as well!
If you have outdoor plans, take precautions to stay cool. Wear light weight, light-colored, loose-fitted clothing. Make sure you have access to plenty of cool water and air conditioning.
Also, keep in mind, our pets feel the heat just like us - or maybe even worse. Make sure they also have access to cool fresh water, shade, air conditioning, and keep them off the hot asphalt and concrete!
One of the saddest things that can happen is forgetting your pet or children in a locked hot car. Look at how hot the car will get after ten minutes, thirty minutes, and after one hour.
(National Weather Service) Even on mild days in the 70s, studies have shown that the temperature inside a parked vehicle can rapidly rise to a dangerous level for children, pets and even adults. Leaving the windows slightly open does not significantly decrease the heating rate. The effects are more severe on children because their bodies warm at a faster rate than adults. A dark dashboard or carseat can quickly reach temperatures in the range of 180°F to over 200°F. These objects heat the adjacent air by conduction and convection and also give off long wave radiation, which then heats the air trapped inside a vehicle. Follow these tips to ensure your child's safety.
- Touch a child's safety seat and safety belt before using it to ensure it's not too hot before securing a child
- Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows down, even for just a minute
- Teach children not to play in, on, or around cars. They could accidentally trap themselves in a hot vehicle.
- Always lock car doors and trunks--even at home--and keep keys out of children's reach.
- Always make sure children have left the car when you reach your destination. Don't leave sleeping infants in the car ever.
Keep an eye on children, the elderly, and your neighbors without A/C and make sure they are keeping cool!
Symptoms:
Heavy sweating
Weakness
Cool, pale, clammy skin
Fast, weak pulse
Possible muscle cramps
Dizziness
Nausea or vomiting
Fainting
First Aid:
Move person to a cooler environment
Lay person down and loosen clothing
Apply cool, wet cloths to as much of the body as possible
Fan or move victim to air conditioned room
Offer sips of water
If person vomits more than once, seek immediate medical attention.
Symptoms:
- Altered mental state
- One or more of the following symptons: throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, shallow breathing
- Body temperature above 103°F
- Hot, red, dry or moist skin
- Rapid and strong pulse
- Faints, loses consciousness
First Aid:
- Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Call 911 or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Delay can be fatal.
- Move the victim to a cooler, preferably air-conditioned, environment.
- Reduce body temperature with cool cloths or bath.
- Use fan if heat index temperatures are below the high 90s. A fan can make you hotter at higher temperatures.
- Do NOT give fluids.
–Heat Safety for Outdoor Workers
Outdoor workers can be at a higher risk to the effects of excessive heat. See Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) resources and recommended practices when working under hot conditions.
- Drink water often
- Rest and cool down in the shade during breaks
- Gradually increase workload and allow more frequent breaks for new workers or workers who have been away for a week or more
- Know symptoms, prevention, and emergency response to prevent heat-related illness and death
- Check weather forecasts ahead of time to be better prepared.
- Slow down: reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day. Children, seniors and anyone with health problems should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
- Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, loose fitting, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
- Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads. If you pack food, put it in a cooler or carry an ice pack. Don't leave it sitting in the sun. Meats and dairy products can spoil quickly in hot weather.
- Drink plenty of water (not very cold), non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids, even if you don't feel thirsty. If you on a fluid restrictive diet or have a problem with fluid retention, consult a physician before increasing consumption of fluids.
- Use air conditioners or spend time in air-conditioned locations such as malls and libraries.
- Use portable electric fans to exhaust hot air from rooms or draw in cooler air.
- Do not direct the flow of portable electric fans toward yourself when room temperature is hotter than 90°F. The dry blowing air will dehydrate you faster, endangering your health.
- Minimize direct exposure to the sun. Sunburn reduces your body's ability to dissipate heat.
- Take a cool bath or shower.
- Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.
- Check on older, sick, or frail people who may need help responding to the heat. Each year, dozens of children and untold numbers of pets left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia. Keep your children, disabled adults, and pets safe during tumultuous heat waves.
- Don't leave valuable electronic equipment, such as cell phones and gps units, sitting in hot cars.
- Make sure rooms are well vented if you are using volatile chemicals.
- For more heat health tips, go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
