Everything remains on track for our impending heat wave. One thing that most people aren’t talking about is that we really need some rain and, if you don’t get anything meaningful on Friday, then you won’t see any until next Wednesday or Thursday. Better get those hoses and sprinklers ready…
Tonight will feature clear to partly cloudy skies, with lows in the upper 50s (14-15 degrees Celsius). Southwest wind at 2 to 5 mph. Sunset is at 9:08 p.m.
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Partly cloudy to start our Friday, then a couple of scattered showers are possible late morning into the early afternoon, with thunderstorms possible from mid-afternoon through early evening. Highs in the mid to upper 70s (25-26 degrees Celsius). Southwest wind at 10-15 mph.
Friday’s sunrise is at 5:57 a.m., and Friday’s sunset is at 9:09 p.m.
If you are taking Friday off and plan on taking the boat out, here’s your marine forecast:
Scattered showers and thunderstorms early Friday evening will end, with skies clearing during the night. Lows in the low 60s (16 degrees Celsius), and this will probably be our last night of comfortable sleeping temperatures until the end of next week.
Mostly sunny and hot on Saturday, with highs in the mid 80s (29 degrees Celsius).
Mostly clear Saturday night, with lows in the upper 60s (20 degrees Celsius).
Mostly sunny and hot Sunday through Tuesday, with highs generally around 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius), and over night lows generally in the low 70s (21-22 degrees Celsius).
Partly cloudy and continued hot on Wednesday, with scattered thunderstorms possible during the mid-to-late afternoon. Highs in the upper 80s (31 degrees Celsius).
There is a better chance for showers and thunderstorms on Thursday, with highs in the mid to upper 80s (30-31 degrees Celsius).
We’ll end next week with partly cloudy skies on Friday, and highs in the mid 80s (29 degrees Celsius).
Up North Forecast:
If you are heading up north for a three-day weekend, here are some maps to help you plan. There is a chance for an occasional shower or thunderstorm, but much more of the three days will be dry than wet.
Heat Wave tips:
If you missed them yesterday, here are some tips to help keep you cool during the upcoming heat wave. One of these, which came from my colleagues at the BBC, will surprise you! Some of these may seem pretty basic, but they are tried and true…they really do work!
1. Close your drapes and blinds during the daytime hours. Just keeping the sun from shining through the windows helps a lot. It’s like moving the inside of your house into the shade. And if the nights cool off enough, open the windows and let that cooler air into the house, before closing the windows again when you wake up to keep that rapidly warming air out.
2. If you have air conditioning, make sure that your furnace filter is clean. A clean filter means that your furnace’s motor more efficiently pushes that cooler air throughout your house.
3. Heat stresses us, especially the very young, very old, and those in poor health. KNOW YOUR LIMITS. If you don’t have air conditioning, it’s important to relieve that heat stress. Perhaps spend some time at an air conditioned mall, or a friend / relative’s house. If nothing else, a cool shower or bath certainly can help cool you off. Just find a way to interrupt the heat’s stress and give yourself some recovery time. Most heat-related health issues result from extended periods of heat stress.
4. Stay hydrated, and make sure that you’re hydrating with water and sports drinks. This is critical, because we sweat more when it’s hot, and this draws a lot of fluids out of our bodies. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, because they dehydrate you…the exact opposite of what you want during a heat wave.
5. Wear cotton or linen clothing, as these natural fibers absorb sweat and allow your skin to breathe. Synthetic material, like polyester and rayon, don’t breathe, and trap sweat on your skin…which makes you more uncomfortable.
6. This one may surprise you, and it comes from my colleagues at the BBC in London! You probably already know that, if you’ll be out in the hot sun, you should wear light colored clothing (preferably white). This helps reflect solar radiation, and keeps you cooler than dark colored clothing. However, if you’ll be inside, or in solid shade, dark clothing actually is better because it absorbs heat from your body and radiates that heat out into the environment around you, especially if there’s a light breeze. Yes, indoors or in the shade, black clothing actually helps keep you cooler!
7. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pets. Please make sure they have relief from the heat, and a dependable supply of clean, cool water to drink.
HEAT STROKE:
Heat stroke occurs when our internal body temperature rises to an unsafe level…above 105° (41° Celsius). If you notice somebody in the heat exhibiting the following symptoms, call 911 immediately:
Hot, dry skin (no sweating), despite the heat. The skin may also be red.
Severe headache or dizziness
Nausea and/or vomiting
General weakness or severe muscle cramps
Confusion
Disorientation
Loss of consciousness
Rapid heartbeat and rapid, shallow breathing
Seizures
After calling 911, start first aid which, in this case, is simply trying to cool the person. If possible, put them in a tub of cool water. If that’s not possible, dampen their skin and fan them, or sponge them with cool water. You can even use the cool water from a garden hose. Another very effective thing to do is putting ice packs under the armpits and in the groin area. It’s vitally important to get the person’s core body temperature down as best you can until the EMS arrives. Even just moving them into some air conditioning helps. At the very minimum, at least get them into the shade.
If you know any elderly people who live without air conditioning, or somebody with very young children, please check on them when we hit the peak of this heat wave.