Baby, it’ll be hot outside: The National Weather Service has issued a “Heat Advisory” for the tri-state area, including Darien, warning people to be careful outdoors because “prolonged exposure to heat and humidity will result in heat exhaustion or heat stroke.”
avilasal on Flickr
Photo (\”Hot\”) posted to Flickr by Avilasal on Jan. 11, 2010 https://www.flickr.com/photos/7608209@N08/4265611642
The heat advisory, issued for all of Fairfield County and other Metro Area suburbs, starts at noon Sunday and continues until 6 p.m.
Anyone who needs to work outdoors should “schedule frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments,” according to the NWS.
Heat stroke is an emergency — call 911. “Anyone overcome by heat should move to a cool and shaded location,” the weather service advises.
For Darien, the National Weather Service predicts: “A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.”
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has issued an air quality alert for all of Fairfield County and southern parts of New Haven and Middlesex counties (the counties further up the shoreline). Here’s the weather service’s description of the alert:
...AIR QUALITY ALERT IS IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM SUNDAY UNTIL 11 PM SUNDAY... THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ACTION DAY FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES... FAIRFIELD...NEW HAVEN...AND SOUTHERN MIDDLESEX. OZONE WITHIN THE REGION MAY APPROACH OR EXCEED UNHEALTHY STANDARDS ESPECIALLY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS SUCH AS THE ELDERLY AND VERY YOUNG...AND THOSE WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS SUCH AS ASTHMA. IT IS RECOMMENDED THOSE INDIVIDUALS LIMIT STRENUOUS OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT THE CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.CT.GOV/DEEP/AQI
Advice for Dealing with the Heat
The Darien Health Department’s Web page has a link to the American Public Health Association website, which has recommendations for dealing with heat waves, some of which is simple common sense, but some of which you might not know. Among the recommendations:
• Avoid strenuous, outdoor exercise. If you must do any type of heavy activity, try to do it in the early morning, before 7 a.m.
• Stay in air conditioning on high temperature days. If you don’t have air conditioning in your home, stay on a lower floor or go to a library or other public building during the warmest hours of the day.
• Even if you are not thirsty, drink plenty of water. And stay away from drinks with alcohol or caffeine, which can make you even more dehydrated!
• Eat small meals and eat more often. Avoid protein, such as dairy and chicken, as it can heat up your body during periods
of excessive heat. Now is a great time to eat pasta and bread!
• Take cool showers to lower your body heat.
• If you take salt tablets, talk to your doctor to find out if you should stop during a heat wave.
The public health association Web page also recommends:
If you have any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately or go to your nearest hospital: feeling faint, dizzy or nauseous, heavy sweating or exhaustion. If you have any of these symptoms, keep drinking cold water slowly — half a glass every 15 minutes. If you are alone, find a family member or neighbor to sit with until you feel better.
If your skin gets hot or very red, your pulse slows down or your breathing gets shallow, get help right away! Call 911 and try to cool your body immediately by taking a cold bath or wrapping your body in a cool sheet. Don’t move around a lot; lie down and wait for help to arrive.
Darien Library is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Area movie theaters and the Stamford Town Center Mall, along with various stores in the area, are also open on Sunday.
National Weather Service’s Heat Advisory Statement
Here’s the National Weather Service’s full Heat Advisory statement for the northern New York City Metropolitan Area:
...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM EDT THIS EVENING... * LOCATIONS...NORTHEAST NEW JERSEY...THE LOWER HUDSON VALLEY..AND SOUTHWEST CONNECTICUT. * HAZARDS...HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY * HEAT INDEX VALUES...UP TO 102. * TIMING...SUNDAY AFTERNOON. * IMPACTS...PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL RESULT IN HEAT EXHAUSTION OR HEAT STROKE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A HEAT ADVISORY IS ISSUED WHEN THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY IS EXPECTED TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT IS 100 TO 104 DEGREES FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE HOURS. TO REDUCE RISK DURING OUTDOOR WORK THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS SCHEDULING FREQUENT REST BREAKS IN SHADED OR AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENTS. ANYONE OVERCOME BY HEAT SHOULD BE MOVED TO A COOL AND SHADED LOCATION. HEAT STROKE IS AN EMERGENCY...CALL 9 1 1.