(The Center Square) — Slightly cooler weather is on the way for parts of Arizona, but folks should still be mindful of conditions.
An extreme heat warning for the Phoenix area is set to expire at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Temperatures will generally remain above 100 degrees across much of the lowest elevations of the southwestern Arizona, National Weather Service meteorologist Mark O’Malley told The Center Square.
Recent temperatures have been five to seven degrees above normal. In Phoenix, for example, Tuesday’s high was 112. It was the same in Yuma. The high temperature in El Centro was 114,
Heat-related conditions are blamed for at least 35 recent deaths in Maricopa County alone. Another 334 are under investigation.
“We always encourage people to maintain vigilance and prepare for the hot weather if you need to be doing any work outdoors during the afternoon hours,” said O’Malley, who works in the weather service's Phoenix office.
NWS advises people who have to work or spend time outdoors to make sure to get into some air conditioning during the afternoon and give their bodies a break.
“We also encourage people to check on your neighbors, those who may not want or have air conditioning because they can’t afford it or for any other reason,” said O’Malley.
The Arizona Department of Health Services offers information regarding cooling centers online at experience.arcgis.com. Visitors will see a map of the state and snowflake-like markers to pinpoint locations of various cooling centers.
Meanwhile, physicians such as Tucson-based Dr. Jane Orient told The Center Square that hydration is important to prevent not only dehydration but also heat stroke.
“If a person can drink enough water and sweat normally, there is no specific time limit for being in a hot environment, though it is easy to get dehydrated and need intravenous fluids,’ said Orient. “If a person cannot sweat enough because of a skin condition or medication use, he may need to be quickly removed to a cool environment, and if body temperature is rising, aggressive cooling is needed, as in an ice bath. Heat stroke is an acute emergency and can be fatal.”
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