Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Thursday Thirteen 205: Beat the Heat

Our area has been plagued by a heat wave the last several days, which is quite unusual for this time of year. Our normal temps for early June are mid-70s. Tuesday's temp set a new record high of 96F. In June! If, like me, you've been suffering from the heat, here are a few tips on how to cope with it.

1. Stay out of the sun, especially between 10am and 2pm, which is typically the hottest part of the day. If you do have to go out, wear sunscreen, hat and sunglasses and take it easy.

2. Stay hydrated. Water is best, but certain sports drinks and fruit juice are also good. Make sure it is 100 percent juice, though, not a juice "drink" like Sunny-D or a juice cocktail.

3. Avoid alcohol, tea and caffeine as they will dehydrate you.

4. Avoid heavy meals. Salads, fruits, cold soups and sandwiches are best for hot weather.

5. Lay in a supply of popsicles, freeze pops and juice bars for a refreshing treat. Frozen grapes and melon are also good.

6. Avoid outdoor physical activity. Trust me, the lawn and the garden can wait. If you really must tend to them, do so early in the morning or late evening. This is also when a gym membership or workout DVD comes in handy.

7. Wear loose, comfortable clothing that allows heat to evaporate.

8. Keep windows closed, and shades or curtains drawn during the day to block out the sun. It's even better if, like me, your windows are shaded by a few trees. Because I have eastern-facing windows, I leave my front blinds open overnight so my plants get a couple hours early morning sun, then close them before I leave for work. It truly does make a difference!

9. Turn lights off, or use fewer of them, to avoid heat build-up and to conserve energy. Also minimize use of energy-draining appliances (yes, even the TV!), and try to run larger ones such as dishwashers, washers, and dryers either early in the morning or later in the evening.

10. Use the air conditioner if you have it (and can afford it), fans if you don't. If the heat gets too unbearable, take yourself off to the library, mall, or movie theater for a while.

11. Check on elderly or disabled neighbors and family members to make sure they are okay. Sadly, there was an incident Wednesday in which an elderly man in Milwaukee died after sitting outside for more than three hours. His body core temp was over 101 degrees.

12. DO NOT leave children, the elderly or pets in an unattended vehicle for even five minutes. JUST DON'T! I cannot emphasize this enough. A local man learned this lesson the hard way Monday afternoon, when he was issued a $177 fine for leaving his dog in the car while he ran into a downtown business. The outside temp was 93F; the temp inside his car over 100F.

13. Know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and what you should do treat them. And yes, there is a difference. Both are forms of hyperthermia, but heat stroke is more severe and can be fatal if medical treatment is not sought immediately.

It's only natural to want to get outdoors once the temperature starts to warm up—especially after a long, cold winter—but please be aware of the weather conditions in your area and be safe while you are outside.




LINKS TO OTHER THURSDAY THIRTEENS:(Please leave your link if this is your first visit!)
Maddy Barone * Alice Audrey * Adelle Laudan
Colleen * Brenda ND * Suzanna Medeiros
Xakara * CountryDew * Allstarme * Jana
Darla M Sands * Paige Tyler * Janice Seagraves
Skylar Kade * Forgetfulone * Harriet * Cara Boss
The Accidental Cooks * Rekaya Gibson



27 comments:

Xakara said...

A timely reminder, especially when it comes to leaving people or pets in cars unattended. Thank you so much!

Happy TT,

~Xakara
Wolf's Glory

CountryDew said...

Great tips. We're having temps in the 90s in Virginia, too, and it is unseasonably warm. Looks like we're going to skip the June weather and go straight in July and August.

Maddy Barone said...

We were in the 90s too. Very unusual for the first week of June. I hate it! Glad to know you are okay. Heard about the tornado from a friend from madison.

Unknown said...

Great advice. We had some wicked rainstorms the past two nights. The first one, we learned the next morning a tornado touched down almost next door to us. No fatalities thank God. My fence on the other hand didn't fare well.
I can't handle the heat like I used to. I'm a real homebody when the temps soar.
Happy T13!

Anonymous said...

For sure, keep drinking water. I made the mistake of running at 5 PM (it was the only time I had) and I nearly passed out! Of course, it's N. Florida and about 100 every day now. :) Happy Thursday.

colleen said...

We got in the grandkids wading pool with them when we were babysitting this week.

Suzanna said...

Sensible advice, and a very timely reminder. We were in the 90s as well yesterday and it felt like it was over 100 when you factored in the humidity. We do that here (Canada) - it's called the humidex.

Mia Celeste said...

What? Avoid caffeine? You're a mad woman. I could never do anything that radical. Grin. I guess I'll buy a fan and apply your suggestion about buying popsicles. Happy TT!

Darla M Sands said...

Thanks for these! I'm glad you were spared tornadoes when the cooling storms came through. Happy TT!

Heather said...

Xakara: It makes me so angry every summer when you hear of parents leaving infants or young children in a car "just for five minutes."

Anita: I heard your weather wasn't much better than ours, and saw that it was around 100 in some areas out there. Crazy, isn't it? Too darn early in the season for this!

Maddy: Yes, we were extremely lucky last night. There was one unconfirmed report of a tornado touching down on the east side--the National Weather Service will be here today to check it out.

Heather said...

Adelle: Wow, you don't hear of too many tornadoes up your way. Glad your fence was the only casualty! I don't do so well in the extreme heat, either. Even staying indoors during the worst of it, I had an upset stomach two days this week.

Allstarme: Eek! Glad you were okay after that little mistake. I walked 3 miles Sunday evening, and even though it was 7pm I was still feeling it. Good thing I had a large bottle of water with me!

Paige Tyler said...

I love hot weather! That said, though I also love AC!

*hugs*
Paige

My TT is at http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

Heather said...

Colleen: One of the best ways to keep cool! There were a few people here who were upset Mon. & Tues. when they realized the city pool doesn't open until school lets out for the summer Fri afternoon.

Suzanna: Yes, we factor dew point and humidity, too--it's called heat index. The day it was 96F, the HI was around 103. It was horrible!

Brenda: LOL...I had a feeling you would take exception to giving up your coffee, even in extreme heat. Guess you could always try it iced. ;)

Darla: Thanks, I'm glad we were spared, too. Being only a mile from a possible tornado's path is definitely a mile too close. I was prepared to take shelter if necessary--which is more than I cna say for some people in this building. *Shakes head at stupidity of neighbors*

Heather said...

Paige: See, I always knew you were crazy, LOL. Like my namesake, I wilt in those temperatures. I like it cool and comfortable. ;)

Alice Audrey said...

Looks like you have it covered, even if you're miserable. I recommend sitting in a pool, even if just a waiting pool. It saved my son's life the year a dozen people in Chicago dropped dead from the heat.

Heather said...

Alice: Definitely not miserable today. Temps are much more tolerable than they have been. And you know, I have not used the pool here in a few years. It's either always filled with screaming kids, or surrounded by creepy guys who will hit on anything with legs. *shudder*

Skylar Kade said...

Thank you for posting this! It's heating up in Cali and these reminders are so helpful.

Unknown said...

These are great, I need them in Miami.

http://carabossesbedchamber.blogspot.com/2011/06/thursday-thirteen.html

Jana said...

My best defense against the heat is to STAY INSIDE under the a/c. Hence the lack of any weeds getting eaten by my Grasshog the past three weeks. ;-)

Heather said...

Skylar: Glad to be of serive! ;)

Cara: I think if I lived in Miami I would never want to go outside during the summer, LOL. I admit it, I don't like the heat.

Jana: But aren't YOU supposed to be used to these kind of temperatures? Wimp! LOL

Janice Seagraves said...

All very good advice for hot weather no matter where you live.

Oh yes, summer heat can be deadly.

Where I live in the central valley of California, it gets really hot. Over a hundred for months. We have cooling centers now for people who can't or can't afford to cool their homes. Which is good because a few years ago a mother and son (both elderly) were found dead in their homes. There were laying on their beds with the ceiling fans on. It wasn't enough and they both died of heat exhaustion.

Stay cool.

Janice~

I am Harriet said...

I can't believe how hot it has been here. At least it isn't the opposite I guess.

Have a great day!
http://harrietandfriends.com/2011/06/96-today/

The Accidental Cooks said...

Great list. When the temperature rises it is always good to have reminders.

Rekaya Gibson said...

Good list. #5 is my fav.
Thanks for sharing.

The Food Temptress

Pranavam Ravikumar said...

Nice one! Here slowly started drizzling, hope to have a good rainy season for the next three months.

Regards

Forgetfulone said...

Great advice, espcially considering we've hit temps over 100 more times than not in the past two weeks.

Alice Audrey said...

I don't think I'd want to use it either. I didn't realize you had a pool there. A real one, I mean.