NWS Detroit has issued an excessive heat warning, effective until 8pm Friday, which replaces the heat advisory that has loomed over us for most of the week. High humidity and temperatures in the mid 90s will create heat indices around 105 degrees today. The low for tonight will be in the upper 70s! Similar conditions are expected tomorrow until a cold front moves through the area in the afternoon/evening.
This is fairly serious; especially if you’re outdoors for the art fair, drink plenty of water and be vigilant for signs of heat-related health problems. Rest in shaded or air-conditioned environments, and call 911 if you or someone else is affected by heat stroke.
Heat related safety tips:
- Drink plenty of fluids. During hot weather you will need to increase your fluid intake, regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
- Replace salt and minerals. Heavy sweating removes salt and minerals from the body. These are necessary for your body and must be replaced. If you must exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, non-alcoholic fluids each hour. A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. However, if you are on a low-salt diet, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage or taking salt tablets.
- Schedule outdoor activities carefully. If you must be outdoors, try to limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours. Try to rest often in shady areas so that your body’s thermostat will have a chance to recover.
- Pace yourself. If you are not accustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment, start slowly and pick up the pace gradually. If exertion in the heat makes your heart pound and leaves you gasping for breath, STOP all activity. Get into a cool area or at least into the shade, and rest, especially if you become lightheaded, confused, weak, or faint.
- Use a buddy system. When working in the heat, monitor the condition of your co-workers and have someone do the same for you. Heat-induced illness can cause a person to become confused or lose consciousness.
- Don’t leave children or pets in cars. Even in cool temperatures, cars can heat up to dangerous temperatures very quickly. Even with the windows cracked open, interior temperatures can rise almost 20 degrees Fahrenheit within the first 10 minutes. Anyone or any pet left inside is at risk for serious heat-related illnesses or even death. Children who are left unattended in parked cars are at greatest risk for heat stroke, and possibly death.
The full warning text follows, with preparedness advice:
WWUS73 KDTX 181335
NPWDTX
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
935 AM EDT THU JUL 18 2013
...DANGEROUSLY HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS PERSISTING THROUGH
FRIDAY...
.A STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM IS RESULTING IN AN EXTENDED
STRETCH OF HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS. VERY HUMID CONDITIONS
COMBINED WITH TEMPERATURES RISING INTO THE MID 90S WILL RESULT IN
HEAT INDICES AROUND 105 DEGREES THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...
OVERNIGHT RELIEF FROM THE HEAT WILL BE MINIMAL AS HUMID CONDITIONS
PERSIST AND LOWS HOLD IN THE UPPER 70S. SIMILAR CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED TOMORROW BEFORE A COLD FRONT PROVIDES RELIEF FOR THE
WEEKEND.
MIZ047>049-053>055-060>063-068>070-075-076-082-083-190400-
/O.UPG.KDTX.HT.Y.0001.000000T0000Z-130720T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KDTX.EH.W.0001.130718T1335Z-130720T0000Z/
MIDLAND-BAY-HURON-SAGINAW-TUSCOLA-SANILAC-SHIAWASSEE-GENESEE-
LAPEER-ST. CLAIR-LIVINGSTON-OAKLAND-MACOMB-WASHTENAW-WAYNE-
LENAWEE-MONROE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...MIDLAND...BAY CITY...BAD AXE...
SAGINAW...CARO...SANDUSKY...OWOSSO...FLINT...LAPEER...
PORT HURON...HOWELL...PONTIAC...WARREN...ANN ARBOR...DETROIT...
ADRIAN...MONROE
935 AM EDT THU JUL 18 2013
...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT FRIDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DETROIT/PONTIAC HAS ISSUED AN
EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT
FRIDAY. THE HEAT ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
* HIGH HUMIDITY AND MAX TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 90S THIS
AFTERNOON RESULTING IN HEAT INDICES AROUND 105 DEGREES.
* LITTLE OVERNIGHT RELIEF WITH HUMIDITY PERSISTING AND LOWS IN
THE UPPER 70S.
* CONTINUED HOT TOMORROW WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 90S
RESULTING IN HEAT INDICES OF 95 TO 105 DEGREES.
IMPACTS...
* HEAT STROKE...HEAT EXHAUSTION AND OTHER HEAT RELATED ILLNESSES
WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY IF YOU SPEND A SIGNIFICANT
AMOUNT OF TIME OUTDOORS...OR ARE INVOLVED IN ANY STRENUOUS
OUTDOOR ACTIVITY. THE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF HIGH DAYTIME HEAT
INDICES AND WARM OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES CAN TAKE A TOLL ON THE
HEALTH OF PEOPLE LIVING IN AREAS WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
* TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS...IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE.
WHEN POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING
OR EVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND
HEAT STROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHEN
POSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.
TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK...THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS
IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY
HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE
IS AN EMERGENCY - CALL 911.
* PREPARE...PLAN...AND STAY INFORMED. VISIT
HTTP://GO.USA.GOV/RR8
&&
$$
