Burn, Baby, Burn!

Burnsville is going to be burning hot this weekend: The National Weather Service warns that Minnesota and Wisconsin are in for a sustained heat wave. The forecast for Saturday and Sunday calls for temperatures well into the 90s — a trend that will likely continue well into the first part of the week.

 To make matters worse, this weekend will also be humid and muggy. The moist conditions will drive up the Heat Index, which the NWS describes the heat index as “an accurate measure of how hot it really feels. For instance, 90 degrees at 70 percent humidity will measure 105 on the Heat Index. The Heat Index increases steeply with each tick of the mercury: Though only six degrees higher, 96 F at 70 percent humidity charts a whopping 126 degrees on the Heat Index.

“That’s kind of what is shaping up later this Saturday and into Wednesday. We’ll have temperatures into the mid-90s and high humidity. Whenever you have (humidity) in low to mid 70s combined with temperatures in the 90s it is very, very uncomfortable,” said Meteorologist Jim Richardson. “High humidity like that is going to not allow the body to cool itself as well because the evaporation of sweat doesn’t happen as readily.”

The sizzling heat is not just an inconvenience. It’s a health hazard. According to the NWS, heat is the number one weather-related killer in the United States. Excessive heat claims an average of 162 lives per year — more than floods, lightning, tornadoes and hurricanes combined.

A prolonged and severe heat wave can spell disaster: In the famousheat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died. More recently, a hot spell in August 2003 claimed an estimated 50,000 lives in Europe.

Here are some tips to beat the heat:

• Slow down. Go easy on strenuous exercise or outdoor household work until coolest time of the day. Children, the elderly and anyone with health problems should stay in the coolest possible place.

• Dress down in lightweight, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.

• Eat light. Heavy foods, like meat and other proteins, increase metabolic heat production also contribute to water loss.

• Drink plenty of water and avoid alcohol and caffeine.

• Beware of your car, which could become a death trap. Do not leave children or pets unattended in a car during a heat spell.

• To the mall! Try to stay in an air-conditioned place. If you don’t have air conditioning at home go to a library, store or other location with air conditioning for part of the day.

• Do not take salt tablets unless your physician recommends it.

• Be on the lookout for symptoms of a heat disorder, especially in children, the sick and the elderly — all of whom are especially vulnerable to high temperatures. Generally, the body sheds heat by circulatory changes and sweating. The body’s cooling system can become overtaxed in extreme heat. Excessive sweating can cause a dangerous chemical (salt) imbalance in the body. This generally occurs when the individual has stayed out in the heat too long or exercised too much for his or her age and physical condition.

Here are some things to watch for:

- Sunburn 

- Heat cramps (painful spasms in the muscles of legs and abdomen).

- Heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is characterized by heavy sweating, weakness, cold and clammy skin, fainting and vomiting. To alleviate heat exhaustion, get the victim inside and out of the sun. Lay them down and apply cool, wet cloths. Give them sips of water, though do not force it if nausea occurs. If vomiting continues, seek medical attention immediately.

- Heat stroke. On the spectrum of heat-related illnesses, heat stroke is the most serious. Those suffering from heat stroke will have a high body temperature (106° F or higher), hot, dry skin and a rapid pulse. They may also fall unconscious. This is a severe medical emergency. Call and ambulance or get the victim to a hospital ASAP if these symptoms occur. Any delay could be deadly.

 In the meantime, try to cool their body temperature with a cold bath or sponging. Do not give fluids.