Heads Up! Heat Safety is for All of Us in Minnesota this Week

It's going to be hot this week across southern Minnesota, perhaps dangerously hot. When it comes to hot weather safety, it applies to all of us. We all have the same body temperature, and it's vulnerable to the elements.

Heat is one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States, resulting in hundreds of fatalities each year. Everyone can be vulnerable to heat, but some more so than others.

National Weather Service

What You Need to Know About Heat:

Young children and infants are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illness and death, as their bodies are less able to adapt to heat than are adults.
Older adults, particularly those with pre existing diseases, take certain medications, are living alone or with limited mobility who are exposed to extreme heat can experience multiple adverse effects.
People with chronic medical conditions are more likely to have a serious health problem during a heat wave than healthy people.
Pregnant women are also at higher risk. Extreme heat events have been associated with adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight, preterm birth, and infant mortality, as well as congenital cataracts.

It is NEVER safe to leave a child, disabled person or pet locked in a car. If you have a toddler in your household, lock your cars, even in your own driveway. Kids play in cars or wander outside and get into a car and can die in 10 minutes! A reported 33 children died in hot cars in 2022.

Stay cool. Stay safe. Stay weather-aware. Download our mobile app for forecasts, and opt in for weather alerts for breaking weather-related updates.