It’s been a hot week in Dallas-Fort Worth, with daily highs consistently hitting triple-digit temperatures. Don’t expect any sort of relief heading into the weekend.
On Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Fort Worth issued an excessive heat warning for the region that lasts through Sunday. High temperatures are expected to be between 103 and 106 degrees, with maximum heat-index value expected to hit 106 to 111 degrees Friday, according to the latest report by the National Weather Service.
With that outlook in mind, here are some tips and reminders from recent Dallas Morning News reporting on how to best navigating the rising temperatures:
Be mindful of heat exhaustion and heatstroke
People in the area are encouraged to drink plenty of water and take breaks in the shade to avoid heat-related illnesses. But knowing the difference between heat exhaustion and heatstroke is key, too.
Heat exhaustion is marked by symptoms including dry mouth, dizziness and excessive sweating, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If it’s not treated, it can progress to heatstroke, which is more severe and happens when the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails and the body loses the ability to regulate temperature on its own.
Unlike heat exhaustion, heatstroke requires hospitalization.
While both illnesses are common this time of year, ambulance service MedStar says they can be easily prevented by following five tips:
- Hydrate: Drink plenty of water during the day, especially if you are engaged in any strenuous activity.
- Ventilate: Stay in a place where there is plenty of air circulating to keep your body cool. If you are indoors and don’t have access to air conditioning, open windows and use a fan.
- Cover up: Wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing to avoid absorbing the sun’s light and trapping heat.
- Limit activity: Heatstroke can occur in less than an hour when you are participating in strenuous activity on a hot day.
- Check on loved ones: The elderly are especially vulnerable to heat-related emergencies and may not be aware of how hot it may get in their homes.
For more, read our full story on 5 ways to avoid heat exhaustion, heatstroke in North Texas’ triple-digit temperatures.
Don’t forget about your pets
Extreme heat can also bring on extreme issues for our furry friends. Here are some tips to keep in mind when it comes to our pets during an excessive heat warning:
- “If it’s hot outside for you, it’s even hotter for your pet”: If you’re worried about yourself, you should definitely worry about your pets, Lori Teller, president-elect of the American Veterinary Medical Association, reminds us.
- Higher-risk animals: Pets with longer or darker fur, or those that are brachycephalic — with flat or pushed-in faces, like pugs or Persian cats — may have extra trouble managing heat
- Warning signs: If your pet displays any of the following signs as a result of the heat — anxiousness, restlessness, excessive panting and drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, abnormal gum and tongue color or unsteadiness — you should take them to emergency veterinary care.
- Avoid at all costs: Pets should never be left inside parked vehicles. Within 10 minutes, the temperature in a car can rise almost 20 degrees, putting pets at risk of heat stroke. “Cracking the windows and parking in the shade make no difference,” Teller said.
- Other helpful tips: During the day, pavement can get very hot and lead to burned paws. Walking in the early morning, avoiding dark pavement, giving pets the option to walk on the grass and using dog booties can help avoid injury.
For more, read our full story on how to help your pet beat Dallas-Fort Worth’s heat this week.
Don’t forget about your plants, either!
The weather can impact ourselves and our pets. But don’t forget about other living things around us, too — like plants.
Maintaining your garden in the summer is a challenge. Doing so while conserving water is even more difficult. But it’s certainly possible. Here are five ways to accomplish that feat:
- Water in the morning: Experts agree and emphasize: Water your plants in the morning so the plants can retain the moisture before it is evaporated by the sun.
- Adjust for the dry summer: Experts recommend watering lawns once a week with the soak and cycle method. This method involves watering a zone for a short period of time before moving to the next, and then repeating the process again.
- Keep the soil moist: To prevent over- or under-watered plants, monitor soil’s moisture levels and use smart irrigation practices in all types of gardens and landscapes.
- Watch your potted plants: Potted plants such as vegetables and flowers especially need to be monitored in the heat, as smaller containers dry faster and require more frequent watering. It’s best to use the biggest pots possible to help maintain moisture.
- Plan a garden of Texas native plants: Experts recommend gardeners plant native Texas botanicals, as they use less water and therefore require less upkeep.
For more, read our full story on how to take care of your plants in triple-digit temperatures.
Take advantage of cooling centers
If you find yourself in West Dallas or South Dallas, don’t hesitate to take advantage of the newly opened cooling centers, where people can take advantage of air conditioning, refreshments an activities to those who need to cool off.
The two air-conditioned cooling centers are free to use, one at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and another at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center, 2828 Fish Trap Road. The centers will remain open through September.
The MLK Community Center’s cooling center will open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, and will be closed Sundays. The cooling center in West Dallas will open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, and will be closed Sundays.
For more, read our full story on Dallas opening two cooling centers where people can get out of the heat.
If you have to work outside, be sure to listen to the “pros”
Many of us can escape the heat and seek refuge indoors with air conditioning. But if you’re a construction worker, police officer, landscaper, painter, security officer, valet or work another profession without that luxury, you’ll likely face some grueling shifts in the sun.
Here are some tips that outdoor experts told The Dallas Morning News in the middle of a previous heat wave when it comes to dealing with the heat when you don’t have the luxury of simply staying inside:
- Stay in the shade
- Apply sunscreen early and often
- “Take care of each other”
- Wear long sleeves and drink lots of Pedialyte
- “Don’t push yourself”
For more, read our full story on how the pros endure the Texas heat.