Coping with heatThe combination of hot temperatures and high humidity combine to create potential for heat illnesses. To cope:* Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid alcohol.* Stay in an air-conditioned room if possible, and use a circulation fan* Stay out of the sun.* If you must work outdoors, try to work in cooler morning hours or late evening hours.* Wear lightweight, light-colored cotton clothing.* Eat light meals.* Check up on children, pets, elderly relatives and neighbors. Make sure they have plenty of cool water and a cool place to rest.* Do not leave pets or children in a car.Sources: National Weather Service, CDC
Just in case you think all these August afternoons in the sun seem hotter than the official temperature, you're right.
The official mercury measure - 96 in Chattanooga on Monday and expected to be near 100 today and the rest of the week - is always taken in the shade with plenty of air flow around the thermometer's sensor.
Derek Eisentrout, a hydro-meteorological technician with the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn., said that's why bank thermometers seem to register hotter than the official temperatures at Chattanooga's Lovell Field and in Peachtree City, Ga.
Those bank towers bake between the sun's glare and the overheated pavement - just where passersby are when they notice the outrageous digits.
Sun or shade, the extreme heat is forcing changes for many, including outdoor workers and football players.
Jimmy Eller, an estimater at Yerbey Concrete Construction on Central Ave., said the water in concrete mixes evaporates and dries so quickly right now that workers have to saw-cut joints or change the concrete mixes to keep the material workable yet still durable.
Jason Moore, with Choice Concrete & Waterproofing, said his company adds a retarder to the concrete mix when pouring a house foundation. The retarder slows the curing process and keeps the walls strong.
Hixson football coach Houston White last week changed practice time to night hours, but the players still feel the heat.
"We all think we're in pretty good shape but the heat slows you down real quick," said Hixson senior lineman Thomas Crowder. "It's just ridiculous how hot it is out there in all those pads. Coach White gets on us a lot about making sure we stay hydrated."
Robert Beasely, meteorologist at the National Weather Service's Peachtree City office, said Northwest Georgia and Southeast Tennessee this week are in for carbon copies of Monday - just with more mugginess.
Heat indexes on both sides of the state line are expected to be on the 105 side of 100, he said.
Temperatures in that range likely won't bring heat advisories in the region, because night temperatures will cool into the low to mid-70s, Beasely said.
Staff writer Stephen Hargis contributed to this story.
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