HOW HOT IS TOO HOT?
The season is Summer. It is the end of July and we are about to go into August. We live in the Mid-South. Really, it does not take a meteorologist to tell us that it is going to be hot. They tell us in the early morning, mid-day and before we go to bed at night. It would be REAL news if it were COOL! But, alas, it is not. However, let's not go overboard. We are hitting in the 90's and sometimes, as today it was 93 degrees at 3 pm. The drama surrounding this should be up for award winning drama! Yes, that is quite warm and if one is out working in it, it can even be dangerous if precautions are not taken. Yet when the weather maps are being displayed for the country, there are places that are having temperatures of 100+ such as Lawnton, OK at 111, Abilene, TX - 110, San Antonio - 104, Fayetteville, AR - 103 and there were plenty of others. These either set records or tied records that were set back in 1996 or even 1936. Some were more recent than that but I am just pointing out that we have had these temperatures before. Not that I don't believe in the Climate Change/Global Warming and believe that it is a real thing. Yes, I do. We need to take care of our Earth.
We also need to be sure to take care of ourselves. Dehydration is a real thing and therefore it is very important to be sure to drink enough water and possibly even add electrolytes through powders or Gatorade/Powerade, etc. It is also important to not leave our pets out in this kind of heat. If there is high humidity, the meteorologist will add on the heat index to let us know that the 95 degrees may feel like 105 degrees. This is one of the reasons that our weather has so many people talking about it. Just think of all of the jobs that involve working outside in this kind of heat. It is critical for these workers to wear appropriate clothing and to drink lots of water.
In the high heat, it is very important to not walk your dog in the heat on sidewalks or tarmac. If it is too hot for you to touch then it is also burning the pads of their feet. They may also eat less and drink more water. It is intuitive for them to do this. For humans also, if we pay attention to what our bodies are telling us. Mid-day is not exactly the best time to go out for a jog on a hot summer day, yet I witness it frequently. About the only place to be is in a pool or inside in air-conditioning. This was a bit of a challenge when storms came through and knocked out the electricity for hundreds of thousands of homes. Some areas were without power for a week. There were cooling centers for some people to go to and those who could afford it went to hotels if they did not have family they could stay with who did have power.
It just reminds us of how vulnerable we really are without our electricity.
Sometimes we just have to sweat it out.
We definitely need to listen to our body signals and the effect on extreme heat especially if you have health issues.I try to run my errands early in the mornings with water bottle in hand.We have been lucky with short periods during power outages.I always check on my friends with open invite to stay with us.Some have brought over their freezer items to save them from spoiling.I also have water bottles t give to mail carriers and waste pickups.I so remember my husband when he worked for Frito Lay with no air condition in his truck.Companies need to provide for the HOT days of their employees.I remember starting teaching in'74 when schools were not air-conditoned and then when they were ,thermostats locked in at unreasonable temps not accounting for classrooms in direct sunlight.Self care and family care are vital especially on days we,are having now. Linda S.
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