Heat indexes will top 100 degrees across much of Central New York and the Southern Tier next week, and more than 105 in larger urban areas, the National Weather Service at Binghamton reported Thursday.
Expect a high temperature Tuesday in Cortland of 91 degrees and 89 on Wednesday, forecasters said. But that will be combined with humidity in intensify the effect.
The risk is moderate in much of the greater Cortland area — affecting mostly individuals sensitive to heat, especially those without effective cooling or hydration. But it will be more significant in metro areas such as Ithaca, Syracuse and Binghamton, affecting anyone without effective cooling or hydration.
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offer these tips to cope:
*Wear appropriate clothing. Choose lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
*Stay cool indoors. Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible. If you don’t have air conditioning, go someplace that does. Even a few hours in a cooler environment can help when you return to the heat.
*Take a cool shower or bath to cool off.
To that, the Cortland County Health Department adds:
*Drink water or other fluids continuously, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
*Eat smaller meals and more often. Avoid high-protein foods, which increase metabolism, and body heat.
*Avoid strenuous activity. If you must do strenuous activity, do it during the coolest part of the
day, which is usually between 4 and 7 a.m. Take regular breaks in shady areas.
And watch for signs of heat-related illnesses:
*Muscle cramps. Drink cool water or a sports drink and stretch the muscle gently, holding the stretch about 20 seconds. Then massage the muscle.
*Heat exhaustion — Cool, moist pale skin, heavy sweating, headache, exhaustion, nausea or vomiting and dizziness. Breathing will be fast and shallow.
*Heat stroke — Vomiting, decreased alertness or unsconsciousness, high body temperature, rapid weak pluse, shallow breathing, a throbbing headache and dizziness.
At the latter stages, heat stroke in particular, call 911, the Health Department advises. “New Yorkers should take every precaution they can over this next week to stay cool and stay safe as the combination of severe storms, heat, and humidity will pose a significant health risk for vulnerable New Yorkers,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday in a release. “My administration will be closely monitoring the weather impacts and we encourage New Yorkers to watch the weather forecast closely, stay hydrated, and have a plan if you need to cool off during this time.”
The state Health Department maintains a list of cooling centers, where people can chill for a bit. It suggests calling before you go, but here are the centers in the greater Cortland are:
*Access to Independence, 26 N. Main St., Cortland. Call 607-753-7363.
*Cortland Chenango Rural Services, Inc., 2704 Lower Cincinnatus Road, Cincinnatus. Call 607-863-3828.
*Kellogg Free Library, 5681 Telephone Road. Ext., Cincinnatus. Call 607-863-4300.
*Lamont Memorial Free Library, 5 Main St., McGraw. Call 607-836-6767.
*Peck Memorial Library, 24 E. Main St., Marathon. Call 607-849-6135.
*Philips Free Library, 37 S. Main St., Homer. Call 607-749-4616.
*Groton Public Library, 112 E. Cortland St, Groton. Call 607-898-5055.
*Shops at Ithaca Mall, 40 Catherwood Road, Lansing. Call 607-257-5338.
*Southworth Library, 24 W. Main St, Dryden. Call 607-844-4782.
*Tompkins Cortland Community College, 170 North St, Dryden. Call 607-844-8211.
