heat

[Perry Lester]

...UNSEASONABLY HOT WEATHER THIS WEEK....HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL INTO THE 90S MONDAY ANDTUESDAY...POSSIBLY EXCEEDING 100 DEGREES IN CENTRAL ANDSOUTHERN IOWA. HEAT INDICES WILL BE FIVE TO TEN DEGREES WARMERTHAN THE OBSERVED TEMPERATURES DURING BOTH AFTERNOONS. HIGHTEMPERATURES ON SUNDAY WERE ALREADY IN THE 90S ACROSS IOWA. WITHEVEN HOTTER CONDITIONS FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS...THECUMULATIVE EFFECT MAY LEAD TO HEAT STRESS...PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING OR ENGAGING IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. LITTLECHANGE IS EXPECTED OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA INTO THE LABORDAY WEEKEND WITH HIGHS STAYING IN THE MIDDLE 90S.POLK-INCLUDING THE CITY OF...DES MOINES923 PM CDT SUN AUG 25 2013 ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT TUESDAY...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES HAS ISSUED ANEXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDTTUESDAY. THE HEAT ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.* TEMPERATURE...HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE AROUND 100 DEGREES MONDAY AND TUESDAY. HEAT INDEX VALUES WILL REACH 105 TO 110 DEGREES DURING THE AFTERNOON.* IMPACTS...THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF SEVERAL DAYS OF HEAT WILL TAKE ITS TOLL...PARTICULARLY ON THOSE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING OR THOSE ENGAGING IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE DELAYED TO A LATER DATE IF POSSIBLE...OR HELD IN THE MORNING TO MINIMIZE HEAT STRESS. THESE CUMULATIVE HEAT EFFECTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE ENHANCED IN THE DES MOINES AREA DUE TO TEMPERATURES WHICH CAN BE A FEW DEGREES WARMER IN LARGE METRO AREAS. THESE IMPACTS WILL LIKELY CONTINUE INTO THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND...ESPECIALLY OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN IOWA...WHERE HIGHS WILL REMAIN AT LEAST IN THE MID 90S. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OFDANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOTTEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUSSITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY. DRINK PLENTY OFFLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS IF YOU WORK OR SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. WHEN POSSIBLE...RESCHEDULE STRENUOUS ACTIVITIES TO EARLY MORNING OREVENING. KNOW THE SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF HEAT EXHAUSTION AND HEATSTROKE. WEAR LIGHT WEIGHT AND LOOSE FITTING CLOTHING WHENPOSSIBLE AND DRINK PLENTY OF WATER.TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK...THE OCCUPATIONAL AND HEALTHADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS INSHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEATSHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY - CALL 911.KOTENBERG