IT IS OFFICIAL. Summer is finally here. The calendar verifies it, and so does the weather.
The weather for the rest of the week is forecast to be hot enough to be downright dangerous. High temperatures are expected to nudge 100. If the high humidity of Sunday, Monday and today continues, the heat index will be a few degrees above the century mark.
The first really hot weather of the summer has something in common with the first winter storm of the year. As winter starts, a lot of people have forgotten how to drive on snow and ice. As summer starts, many people have forgotten how to take care of themselves in hot weather. They need to shift their mental gears before they can remember to take simple precautions.
This is what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends:
• Drink plenty of water or other non-alcoholic beverages;
• Wear lightweight, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing;
• Reduce strenuous activities or do them during the cooler parts of the day.
Watch for the symptoms of heat exhaustion — heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting or fainting. If you feel these symptoms, do what is needed to cool down immediately. Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, and heat stroke can kill.
The sun itself is dangerous at this time of year. High in the sky, it delivers a heavy load of ultraviolet rays that can cause sunburn quickly and, in the long run, skin cancer. Sunscreen gives some protection and sunblock gives more, but the best protection against sunburn and skin damage is to limit exposure to the sun and stay out of the sun in the middle of the day.
This time of year, it is always important to take care of ourselves, but it is also important to take care of others — especially children, the elderly and animals.
With a little care, we’ll all get through this.
Then we can start thinking about that first winter storm.
Patrick S. Kelley
Editorial page Editor