On heat waves and heat stroke!

In my simple mans book of definitions, a heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which is always accompanied by high humidity. That definition is not to be confused with the ‘Heat Index’ which is a measure of just how hot it feels when the actual temperature and the humidity are combined. At the other extreme, you have ‘Wind Chill’ which is what you really wish for when it gets this hot.

What makes the high temps combined with high humidity so dangerous to mammals is the fact that highly saturated air makes it very difficult for the body to get a sweat going so as to effectively evaporate and hence cool it down. (Heat produced by normal metabolism just keeps going up and when you hit the hundred plus degree range you can quickly become comatose).

Now according to the scientists here are some effects to watch for at various heat index ranges:

80 – 90 F.  Caution. Fatigue is possible if you are working outdoors.

90 – 105 F. – Extreme caution. Continue activity could result in heat stroke.

105 – 130 F. – Danger. Heat exhaustion likely. Continued activity not advised.

> 130 F. – Extreme danger! Working outdoors will result in heat stroke.

So, right now the Weather Service is calling for heat indexes of between 110 and 115 F.  At 11 AM here in Forsyth Missouri, the temperature outdoors is at 87F with a relative humidity of 80%! This is bad enough, but it will get worst when we hit 95F in the afternoon hours.

When it gets like this, it’s best to hang out indoors with the AC going. If you do not have AC, hit the mall or check into a motel. Also, make sure to take care of your dogs and cats as they can also succumb to high temperatures.