Area residents warned of excessive heat
Will top 90 daily the next week, with Sunday near 100 degrees
Photo by Tom Rivers: Tractors are lined up in the Barre Town Park for the town’s 200th anniversary celebration which continues today and Sunday.
It’s going to be hot the next week in Orleans County and Western New York. Today is forecast to reach 93 and Sunday will reach 98. The heat indexes will top 100 on both days.
The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a heat advisory for Orleans and several WNY counties from noon today until noon on Sunday, and an excessive heat warning from noon Sunday to 10 p.m. on Monday.
“Consecutive days of dangerous heat and humidity will bring an increased risk for heat related illness,” The Weather Service said. “The elderly, very young, pregnant, and those with heart and respiratory conditions that don`t have access to air conditioning are especially at risk during long lasting heat waves.”
The highest heat index values will be from about noon through 8 p.m. each day.
The Weather Service urges people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has also issued an air quality alert from 11 a.m. today until 11 p.m. Sunday.
Air quality levels in outdoor air are predicted to be greater than an air quality index value of 100 for ozone, the DEC said. The air quality index was created as an easy way to correlate levels of different pollutants to one scale. The higher the AQI value, the greater the health concern.
When pollution levels are elevated, the state Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young and those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease. Those with symptoms should consider consulting their personal physician.
The heat wave continues through the week with high temperatures forecast at 96 on Monday, 92 on Tuesday, 91 on Wednesday (July 4th), 92 on Thursday and 90 on Friday.
