For more information contact:    Tod Pritchard, WEM Office: (608) 242-3324     Cell: (608) 219-4008        

For Immediate Release

July 21, 2014 

  

Heat Advisory for western Wisconsin

Check on neighbors and loved ones who may be at risk

 

(MADISON) –ReadyWisconsin is urging residents to take precautions against hot and humid conditions over the next several days. The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory from 11am to 9pm today for Burnett, Pierce, Polk and St. Croix counties in western Wisconsin. Highs will be in the lower 90’s with a heat index around 100 degrees in the advisory area. For the rest of the state, highs will reach the upper 80’s and 90’s along with high humidity on Tuesday. The heat index will peak in the 95 to 100 degree range tomorrow.

The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity could lead to heat illnesses. Given the cool summer we’ve experienced so far, these conditions may lead to a high risk of heat related stress and illness. This is especially true of the young and elderly, and those without air conditioning.

Here are some tips to keep you, your family and friends safe:

• Drink plenty of water, avoid alcohol and caffeine.
• Slow down and limit physical activity.
• Stay in an air conditioned room especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions.
• Check on relatives and neighbors who may be isolated and not aware of the heat dangers. In 2013, 11 Wisconsin residents suffered heat-related deaths. Many of those victims had limited contact with the outside world.
• Never leave people or pets inside a parked car.

For more information go to readywisconsin.wi.gov. For daily safety tips, follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/readywisconsin) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/readywisconsin).