It’s already hot out, but the National Weather Service says it’s about to get even hotter in Hellertown.
It’s going to be so hot, in fact, that the weather service has issued a heat advisory for the Lehigh Valley for Monday, July 25 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., when the mercury is forecast to reach 95.
The heat index–which measures air temperature and relative humidity to calculate a “real feel” temperature–could reach 105 Monday, a NWS statement said.
“The excessive heat will create hazardous conditions,” it said. “The potential for heat-related health issues will be high…especially for the elderly and for those already in poor health.”
The National Weather Service explained that a heat advisory means a period in which “the combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will…create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible.”
To help prevent heat-related illness, people should:
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Stay in air conditioning if possible
- Reschedule strenuous outdoor activities for the early morning or early evening
- Check on the elderly and friends or neighbors in poor health
- Take frequent rest breaks if working outside
- Never leave children or young pets in cars–even for a few minutes–because the temperature inside vehicles can quickly climb to lethal levels. Children are also more susceptible to vehicular heatstroke than adults.
The weather forecast for Hellertown as of Sunday calls for high temperatures above 90 degrees through Thursday, which–if accurate–means the area will have endured one of its longest heat waves in recent memory by later this week.
The extreme heat has even prompted some municipalities–including Allentown–to temporarily waive admission fees at the city’s public swimming pools.
The Hellertown Pool is open daily from noon to 7 p.m., weather permitting.