Alabama Temperatures Getting Dangerously High
This video is no longer available.
It was a very hot day today in Montgomery and the surrounding areas with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees in many parts of our viewing area. This weather may be ideal for swimming or going to the lake but these temperatures can also be very dangerous.
It’s August in Alabama, which means hot weather is the norm. But just because temperatures in the upper 90s is normal, doesn’t mean it’s safe. Janet Gibson is a family nurse practitioner with Alabama Allergy and Asthma. She tells us around this time a year, most patients come in with heat-related problems.
“Believe it or not, you can have an allergic reaction, if you will, to the sun,” she says. “After exposure, some people will actually break out in a rash in response to the sun. So people don’t realize that.”
Because of the high temperatures, more people are at the lake, the beach and in swimming pools. Gibson says because of this, dry and irritated skin is also an issue.
“Your skin needs water to. Not just the kind of water that we wash with but moisture from moisturizers.”
Alabama News Network Chief Meteorologist Ashley McDonald says don’t be fooled by numbers, it actually feels much hotter than the forecast looks.
“Regardless if it’s 95 or 100, it feels hot out there,” sh explains. “It’s really because of that humidity level, or the dew point values being well into the 70s and when you add in those really high dew point values with already hot temperatures, you get those dangerous heat index values.”
It’s those dangerous heat index values that have killed several children this year left in unattended cars. Kimberly Duckworth tells us she has five children, all of which stay home on days when the temperatures get too high.
“It’s very warm,” she says. “I was sweating. That’s why I have my towel so I can pat and stay dry.”
Doctors also advise you to stay hydrated by drinking water and covered with sunblock on hot days.
And don’t be fooled by cloud cover. You can still feel the effects of the heat even when the sun is not out.
