FORT MYERS, FLA — Southwest Florida is in the mist of the hottest streak of temperatures thus far in 2022. Each day we have seen temperatures 94 to 95 degrees with heat indices in the 100s.
At Lakes Parks in Fort Myers all day talking to families about how they have staying cool in the latest heat blast to hit Southwest Florida. So many kids were out playing on this splash pad. Fox 4 talked to a couple families about why they brought their kids to the park.
“It’s a hot day. We were looking to have some fun and get into the water and splash around,” said Savannah.
“Well it’s a 120 degrees and my daughter was suffering,” said Jasmin. “So, I just decided to bring here to the park.”
Who could blame these kids for wanting to play in the water, It is only 88 degrees, meanwhile on the slide down the way, it is 120 degrees. Any hotter and that slide cause 2nd degree burns to a kid just looking to have fun.
What about taking your furry friends for a walk at the park? The sidewalk here measured nearly 130 degrees. If that sidewalk was asphalt it could have been even hotter. That hot surface can burn your pup’s feet. If you wouldn’t want to walk on it barefoot, neither do they. And this sand just off the path, not much better. 107 degrees. If you plan take your dog for a walk it is best to do it in the early morning or at night.
What about your car? You turn your car off to pay to park, the cool air conditioned air inside quickly heats up.
Meteorologist Andrew Shipley did an experiment. He measured 84 degrees to start. After about 5 minutes, that temperature reached 100 degrees.
If the air temperature is 90 degrees, after 10 minutes your closed car is 109 degrees. How about 30 minutes? 124 degrees. 60 minutes? 133 degrees.
And with the dog days of summer ahead of us, here are some hot weather tips to get you through heat. First drink plenty of water. The CDC advises people to drink 24 to 32 ounces of water per hour to avoid dehydration. Second where light, loose fit clothing. Lighter colors will reflect more radiation, while looser clothing will breathe more. Third take breaks because you can easily overheat if you aren’t proactively taking time to cool off. And lastly never leave children or pets alone in a vehicle. Temperatures will rise rapidly inside your turned off vehicle to dangerous levels.
