Some parts of the U.S. are about to endure their hottest days of the summer so far, so if you're affected, make sure you know how to protect your family.
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00:00 Well, as temperatures rise, so does our risk of heat-related illnesses, which can be deadly.
00:07 EquiWeather preparedness expert Tom Bedard joins us to talk about how to keep ourselves
00:11 and our children safe during hot temperatures.
00:15 Tom, can you explain how the recent rainfall in areas about to experience hot temperatures
00:21 can make heat feel worse?
00:23 Michelle, I think by this point in the summer, folks are aware that the temperature is much
00:27 more than that one number that they see on the screen.
00:30 It's about the humidity in the air and the amount of sunlight that's hitting their skin.
00:35 And this is going to be a particularly nasty heat wave with all of the rain that we have
00:39 seen in the plains and in the Midwest.
00:42 That high humidity is going to increase dew points and make it much harder for us to cool
00:45 down by means of sweating.
00:47 So those of you who are going to be in the heat wave in the next couple of days, myself
00:51 included in Wichita, Kansas, this may be the hottest that we've seen so far, particularly
00:56 because sweat's not going to really help us.
00:58 It is going to be humid and it is going to be hot.
01:03 So when it's hot at night, the heat can have more of an impact on our bodies the next day.
01:08 Can you talk about why?
01:10 Yeah.
01:11 So when we look at heat wave fatalities and general morbidity injuries that happen through
01:16 through heat waves, we look at the overnight low temperature.
01:19 And that's because we need to recover at the end of the day, much as we need to get six
01:23 to eight hours of sleep to totally feel right the next day.
01:26 You've got the luxury of getting that much sleep.
01:29 If you are not cooling down during that period of time, your body will not fully rest.
01:32 And so you'll start to see things like your resting heart rate steadily increase day after
01:37 day after day until you feel worn down, even though you've slept for eight hours.
01:41 So finding a cool place to sleep at night, if you can, or if you're a night shifter and
01:46 you're sleeping during the day, getting cool air onto you is so incredibly important, especially
01:51 if you're out working outside, Michelle, to help decrease the risk of heat related injuries
01:56 the following day.
01:59 And in our last 30 seconds, children can be especially prone to heat related illnesses,
02:04 especially very young kids who can't describe what they're feeling.
02:07 What are some things to watch out for when kids get hot?
02:11 You can see irritability.
02:12 You'll see them get thirsty.
02:14 You'll see them act strange.
02:15 And if any of that seems alarming to you, just take their temperature.
02:19 An internal temperature is going to be the best guide to know whether they're experiencing
02:22 a heat related emergency or not.
02:24 Anything between about 100 to 104 is what the CDC says is a range for alarm.
02:30 So to be curious about cooling down your child or if they're in a really bad state, to get
02:35 them to an emergency room so they can get some professional care.
02:38 Same with pets.
02:39 Take temperatures.
02:40 Look for normal ranges.
02:41 If they're above that, Michelle, parents need to take care.
02:45 Thank you for that, Tom.
02:46 Folks, that was AccuWeather's preparedness expert, Tom.