Excessive Heat Warning: How Experts Say Arizonans Can Stay Safe

PHOENIX, AZ — Large swaths of the Grand Canyon State are under excessive heat watches or warnings, starting this weekend.

The warnings stem from a bout of extreme high pressure that's set to arrive in the U.S. Southwest starting on Saturday.

High temperatures in Phoenix will balloon toward 115 degrees by early next week, which can make venturing outside dangerous.

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Jaret Rogers, who serves as the Acting Warning Coordination Meteorologist for the National Weather Services' Phoenix office, chatted with Patch about steps that Arizonans can take to ensure their safety in the week ahead.

Here are the steps that Rogers recommends Arizona residents take to combat the excessive heat that's set to arrive Saturday.

Outdoor Activities

• Slow down. Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day. Those particularly vulnerable to heat such as children, infants, older adults (especially those who have preexisting diseases, take certain medications, living alone or with limited mobility), those with chronic medical conditions, and pregnant women should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
• Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, loose fitting, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
• Minimize direct exposure to the sun. Sunburn reduces your body's ability to dissipate heat.

Eating and Drinking

• Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads. If you pack food, put it in a cooler or carry an ice pack. Don't leave it sitting in the sun. Meats and dairy products can spoil quickly in hot weather.
• Drink plenty of water (not very cold), non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids, even if you don't feel thirsty. If you are on a fluid-restrictive diet or have a problem with fluid retention, consult a physician before increasing consumption of fluids.
• Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.

Cooling Down

• Use air conditioners or spend time in air-conditioned locations such as malls and libraries.
• Use portable electric fans to exhaust hot air from rooms or draw in cooler air.
• Do not direct the flow of portable electric fans toward yourself when room temperature is hotter than 90°F. The dry blowing air will dehydrate you faster, endangering your health.
• Take a cool bath or shower.

Check on Others

• Check on older, sick, or frail people who may need help responding to the heat. Each year, dozens of children and untold numbers of pets left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia. Keep your children, disabled adults, and pets safe during tumultuous heat waves.
• Don't leave valuable electronic equipment, such as cell phones and gps units, sitting in hot cars.
• Make sure rooms are well vented if you are using volatile chemicals.
• For more heat health tips, go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention