Take precautions when you are planning to be outside
How hot will it be in the early afternoon? Preparation for a hot summer’s day outside in the Midwest, East Coast, and Midwest
The first significant heat wave of the summer is expected to hit much of the United States this weekend, impacting regions from the Midwest to the East Coast. The weather service predicts that temperatures will be well into the 90s.
If you’re working, exercising, playing sports and also being active in the outdoors, your muscles will produce heat, Salas says. Take a moment to cool down in an air conditioned room, or in the shade.
Pay special attention to seniors, children, people with certain pre-existing medical conditions, and people on commonly prescribed medications to help manage blood pressure and mental health conditions. They are at higher risk of heat-related illnesses, Salas says.
Before starting your lifeguard shift or going to that barbecue, take a moment to check the heat index. It includes humidity as well as the air temperature, giving you a more accurate read on how hot it will feel outside, Ward says.
If you can, plan your outdoor activities earlier in the day during the hottest time of the day. “Three to 5 p.m. in the afternoon is one of the most dangerous times of day,” says Ward.
Whether you’re headed to the pool or going for a walk, wear lightweight, breathable garments. Opt for cotton or linen fabrics, which have big pores in their woven threads that allow for air circulation, or moisture-wicking materials, which draw sweat away from your skin, helping it to evaporate more quickly, Ward says.
Choose loose-fitting silhouettes, Salas says. If your clothes are too tight, the sweat on your skin can’t evaporate, which is key to keeping your body cool. “I’m sure people don’t love sweating profusely, but sweating is actually our friend when it comes to heat.”
“Don’t forget sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat to prevent sunburn, it’s important to do that in the summer because of the sun’s UV rays,” said a University of Central Oklahoma professor.
How hot is it on a hot day? How to avoid the heat exhaustion when going to the beach or the water fountain, as suggested by S.A. Salas
Your location can make a big difference in how hot it feels. The heat absorbed by dark surface like asphalt is higher than the heat absorbed by natural environments. And because shaded areas have less solar exposure, they can feel much cooler. “You can reduce the temperature around you 10 degrees or more by just moving to an area that’s shaded.”
It’s a hot day and you want to walk your dogs down a tree-lined park, instead of on the sidewalk. Bring a sun umbrella or pop-up tent if you plan on going to the pool.
Salas says if someone you know is experiencing signs of heat exhaustion, they should go into an air-conditioned room. Public libraries are free and open to everyone.
Beware of drinking alcohol on hot days, she says. If you are going to open a cold beer on the beach, you need to be aware that it will affect your ability to sweat and cool off.
You should put a cooling towel under your skin, under your neck or under your groin if you’re feeling hot, so that it won’t get cold when it gets wet, Ward says.
“Some of the body’s major blood vessels closer to the skin live there,” Salas says. It can help cool the blood flowing through them if you put something cold on them.
Source: Planning to be outside on a hot day? Take these precautions
The U.S. braces for first significant heat wave of the new season: According to the New World Weather Organization, a mid-century heat index in the Midwest feels like middle-of-summer humidity
Malaka Gharib edited the story. The visual editor is Beck Harlan. If you have any questions, we’d love to hear from you. We can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 202-216-9823.
He said it will feel like middle-of- summer humidity. “I mean, we’re talking low-to-mid 70-degree dew points, and that’s going to feel pretty uncomfortable.”
The heat index could reach between 100 and 105 in Wisconsin. NWS Meteorologist Ben Miller told Wisconsin Public Radio that since “it’s been a pretty mild spring,” people aren’t acclimated the same way they are later in the summer.
The city of Philadelphia, for example, has issued a code red warning for its residents in order to transfer homeless people to indoor locations, member station WHYY reports. The notice is put into effect if the heat index goes over 95 degrees for at least three days in a row.
Climate change has led to a longer and hotter heat wave in the past. The average number of heat waves the U.S. experiences today has doubled since the 1980s, and the length of the dangerous heat wave season has increased from about 40 days to roughly 70.
The summer of 2024 was the hottest on record since countries began documenting their temperatures in the 1800s. The record for dangerously high temperatures was held by 2023.
Hotter weather can have immediate repercussions on human health, but the long-term effects of climate change also threaten the planet’s plant and animal life and natural landscapes.
In order to combat the changing climate, at a 2015 conference of the United Nations in Paris, most member countries — including the United States — agreed to try to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions in order to rein in the potential calamitous effects of climate change.
Source: Welcome to summer: U.S. braces for first significant heat wave of the new season
Rejuvenating the NWS: Some recommendations for people looking to avoid falling ill in a hot, dry, and moist environment
The heat index is a measure of how hot it actually feels — based on the temperature and the humidity — compared to the actual number on the thermometer.
The NWS encourages people to never leave anyone alone in a closed car, use air conditioners and the shade when possible, and drink plenty of water, even if not thirsty, as some measures to avoid falling ill as a result of the heat.
A heat wave in the US has prompted the National Weather Service (NWS) to warn people to take precautions. A heat wave warning has been issued for several parts of the country, including the Midwest, East Coast and the Midwest. The NWS has also warned that there is a “very good chance of heat-related illness and heat-related death” in some regions.