Another hot weekend ahead

Have you seen the weather reports for this coming weekend? It’s going to be a hot one.
I’m seeing reports of 85-90 degrees in the Mountains, 104-103 Inland, and up to 117 in the Desert.

When to be concerned about heat illness
If you’re unable to keep yourself cool, you may develop the symptoms of heat exhaustion, which, if left untreated, can turn into heatstroke — a serious medical emergency that can lead to organ damage or death without immediate attention.

When temperatures are high, such as during a heat wave, you may also want to check in more frequently on young children under the age of four, as well as older people above the age of 65, because they are more susceptible to heat-related illness.

Where is our Monsoon?!?!?
According to The Weather Channel (weather.com);
The monsoon in the Southwest has been generally inactive so far this year, which has led to an expansion of drought and record heat in the region.

The upper-level setup has not been ideal for ample rainfall to drench the Southwest or for heat relief to arrive this season, which lasts from June 15 through Sept. 30.

The monsoon usually brings relief from the scorching summer heat. However, with a generally absent monsoon, excessive heat can persist.

Several daily record highs and record warm lows are anticipated later this week and into the weekend from western Texas into Southern California.

What can you do to keep cool?
Last week, we wrote about 10 ways to beat the heat according to Lifehacker.com; here are some more ideas for the upcoming hot weekend.

5 best ways to stay cool according to Insider.com:

1. Keep out sunlight. Close the curtains or blinds, use shutters, shades, or awnings, apply high-reflectivity window film.

2. Utilize fans properly. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms so be sure to turn them off when you leave the room. Window fans or portable fans are best used when the air outside is cooler than the air inside.

3. Drink lots of water. Your body needs water to effectively deal with hot temperatures. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty! Getting bored with water? Add frozen berries, grapes, or melon chunks to sparkling water to switch things up.

4. Use cold washcloths. The Mayo Clinic recommends placing a cold, damp cloth on your pulse points – such as the back of your neck, under your armpits, on your wrists, or groin.

5. Eat cool foods and avoid alcohol. Put your quaran-tini down and drink something with no alcohol since too much alcohol can cause your body to actually lose water. Food suggestions include salads, watermelon, mint, and ironically enough – hot peppers.

I hope these suggestions help. Stay cool Idyllwild.