CAPE GIRARDEAU STARTS SIZZLING IN HIGH SUMMER HEAT

Summer is officially here, and so is the heat. Temperatures in the low-to-mid 90s and heat indices over 100 degrees are letting people know that it is not spring any more.

Ryan Presley of the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., says a ridge of high pressure over the eastern and central United States is causing the heat, and will continue to do so throughout the remainder of this week and into the next.

He said when high pressure takes control, air sinks to the ground and compresses. This compression of air causes the heat, just like when someone squeezes an ice cube to make it melt.

A southerly flow continues to push warm, moist air into the region, and Presley expects temperatures of lower to mid 90s throughout early next week, with heat indices between 105-110 degrees. The heat index is the measure of how hot it feels to people, taking in consideration the temperature and relative humidity. By 4 p.m. yesterday, the heat index had reached 104 degrees.

The temperature has been five to seven degrees above normal, but Presley said this isn't unusual. "There really isn't a 'normal,'" he said. "Everything is either 'above normal' or 'below normal' because the normal temperature is just an average of the different temperatures."

But no matter if it is hotter than normal or not, the heat causes problems, and Carol Ide, 27, of Cape Girardeau, knows all too well about the problems the heat causes.

Ide and her three children, Colleen, 3, Cynthia, 5, and Christopher, 8, live in a home without air conditioning. She and two of her children, Colleen and Christopher, all have asthma, and the heat makes it difficult to breath at times.

"We get so hot and the sweat is pouring down," she said. "And the kids have trouble breathing." She said Christopher has to use his inhaler much more often and that Colleen has to use a machine at times to help.

She has fans, but they don't help much. "We can't sit in the living room without getting wet," she said. "We can hardly stay inside."

She's been trying to seek assistance in getting an air conditioner, but everywhere she has turned hasn't been able to. "I just don't have anywhere to turn," she said.

Excessive heat also causes more common problems such as heat exhaustion and, more deadly, heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is when the body loses too much water and minerals due to profuse sweating. Charlotte Craig, director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center, said symptoms of heat exhaustion are light-headedness, a faint feeling and profuse sweating. When this happens, it is recommended to rest in a cool, shaded area, drink water or other fluids, and apply a cool compress on the forehead or under the arms.

Heat stroke is when the body cannot cool down, and permanent damage to organs can result. Signs of heat stroke include a lack of sweating; hot, dry, flush skin; deep, rapid breathing; headache or nausea; dizziness; loss of consciousness; and/or convulsions. Death can result from a heat stroke, so medical attention should be sought right away.

While waiting for medical attention to arrive, the person should rest in a cool, shady area; remove excess clothing; apply cold compresses and/or increase air flow; and drink water or other fluids.

To avoid these problems, Craig said the best thing to do when it is hot as it has been lately and will be throughout the summer is to stay inside in the air conditioning as much as possible. But if you need to be outside, she recommends the following:

-- Wear loose clothing. Don't wear anything dark colored.

-- Take regular breaks.

-- Drink plenty of fluids.