Mother Nature Brings The Heat



WILMINGTON – You probably didn’t notice that the Summer Solstice – that one minute each year that the Earth is closest to the Sun – occurred at 5:13 a.m. this morning, but Mother Nature is going to remind us of the event by sending us yet another heat wave over the next few days.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington reports that temperatures will reach into the mid-90s today and follow that Wednesday with similar temperatures plus elevated relative humidity levels, driving the heat indexes well into the 100-degree range for our second mid-week heat wave in a row.

Extreme heat kills more Americans each year than any other weather-related event – including tornados, hurricanes and blizzards – so Union County residents are advised to take it easy on the outdoor activities as heat exhaustion and heat stroke numbers rise with the temperatures.

An increase in humidity levels also brings with it the chance of scattered thunderstorms, which are expected to develop across central Ohio starting Wednesday afternoon.

Take a page out of the Boy Scouts’ book and ‘Be Prepared’. If it’s too hot for you to be outside, so it is for your pets. Limit their time in the heat, if possible, and make sure you check them on a regular basis – hourly would be best – making sure they have shade and plenty of water should you not be able to bring them into the air conditioning.

Check on your elderly or confined neighbors, too, to make sure they have access to fans and/or air conditioning to help them beat the heat.

Again, illnesses that come with the heat are the most common weather-related deaths in the United States each year, with heat stroke – which calls for immediate medical attention – being the culprit in the vast majority of these cases.

Do yourself, your pets and your neighbors a favor and find at least a minimum of some shade if you must be outside. Even better yet, an artificially cooled indoor environment with the help of a fan or two or some air conditioning – for both man and beast – would be preferable.

Stay cool and stay safe, Union County.

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