Soaring temperatures expected Today with Highs in Mid-Upper 90s

Today is expected to be the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures expected to rise into the upper 90’s and that means the chances for becoming overheated also rise.

The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg is calling for a dry, sunny, and hot day today with a high near 96, calm winds, and only a very slight chance for rain.

And with the heat index it will feel closer to 100.

That means those who work outdoors or anyone planning to be outside today in the hot sun need to take steps to avoid becoming overheated.

Heat-related illnesses pose a significant threat, especially among vulnerable populations such as the elderly, young children, individuals with chronic illnesses, and those with limited access to cooling resources.

Dr. Morgan Wood is an Emergency Medicine Specialist at St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital.

He says being out in the sun too long can cause you to run the risk of
becoming dangerously overheated.

Signs your body is overheating include a high temperature, bumps on your skin, muscle spasms, headache, dizziness, nausea or a number of other symptoms.

Those symptoms mean you may have one of the most common heat-related illnesses such as heat rash, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke.

Heat illnesses range from mild to severe, and heat stroke can be deadly.

Dr. Wood said one of the most important things that people need to do if they work outside or plan to be outside for a long period of time, is to stay hydrated and take frequent breaks.

And the best thing to do is to drink lots of water or power drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade.

 

Dr. Wood added that if you experience heat exhaustion or heat stroke and have recovered it’s a good idea to not go back out in the heat the next day, but give yourself a couple of days to rest first.

It’s also important to check on vulnerable individuals, such as the elderly, young children, and those with chronic medical conditions as well as those without access to air conditioning to make sure are staying cool and hydrated.

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta recommends staying in air conditioning as much as you can during times of extreme heat and if you don’t have air conditioning at home contact your local health department to help locate an air-conditioned shelter in your area.