SUMMER STILL HAS LONG WAY TO GO

If sweltering through Missouri summers isn't enough to convince you that the weather can be miserable, now we learn from a recent study that the heat-related death rate in the state is eight times that of steamy Florida and nine times that of scorching-hot Texas.

Summer arrived early and unseasonably hot in the region this year, and with the traditionally hottest months of July and August to go through the heat will be with us for some time. This kind of heat is dangerous -- even life-threatening -- to elderly Missourians.

Records kept by the Southeast Missourian show that since June 1, temperatures here have exceeded 90 degrees on 24 of the last 37 days, including a 97 on Wednesday, the hottest day yet. Most of the hot days have been accompanied by high humidity, which helped raise the heat index -- the measure of what it feels like when temperature and relative humidity are considered together -- to well above 100.

Stephen Podewell, a geographer at Western Michigan University, did the study on heat-related deaths by surveying public health departments across the country to find out how many people had died from the heat. Podewell's study found that 3,346 people nationwide died from heat between 1980 and 1990. Missouri had 514 heat-related deaths, the most of any state, or 10.2 deaths per 100,000 people.

With those findings, it is important to remind people, particularly the elderly, that they must be careful during these hot summer months. People who work outdoors and engage in outdoor activities should drink plenty of liquids. If you have family members or friends who are elderly, take the time to check on them frequently, particularly if they don't live in air-conditioned homes. At the first sign of heat stress, people should seek a cooler place and immediate medical attention if symptoms appear severe.