Heat advisories are in place for much of Wisconsin. Doug Voegeli with Public Health Madison-Dane County said that means everyone needs to take precautions to get through the hot spell safely. “There’s a high probability of heat injuries when the heat indexes get so high,” he said.
Heat indexes are projected to be well into the triple digits, so it’s crucial for people spending time outdoors to take it easy, and keep adequately hydrated. Voegeli draws on his experience in the military to suggest about one quart an hour. “If you start experiencing symptoms of heat exhaustion you want to make sure to take care of them right away, so that you don’t progress further into heat stroke, which is a potentially fatal reaction to too much heat and not being able to cool yourself down.”
And Voegli said it’s important to check on elderly neighbors and family members. “The best way to prevent heat injuries or heat illnesses is to do the check-ins with your neighbors, and use your community to make sure everyone is being attended to.”
The National Weather Service has issued heat advisories until 9 p.m. Thursday for the Eau Claire region in western Wisconsin, and until 7:00 on Friday night for the southern third of the state.
READ: Heat release from Public Health Madison-Dane County (PDF)
