How to keep yourself safe during heat warnings and advisories

AccuWeather's Tony Laubach reported live from Colorado amid heat warnings on July 31 to provide tips on staying cool and safe.

Transcript

00:00With the fires in Colorado come the heat and well there's been some heat and where there's heat

00:05meteorologist Tony Laupak is nearby. Here he is here today to talk about those heat advisories

00:11and what they may mean for you. Look hot there Tony. Yeah you know I spend a lot of my career

00:19oh I know yeah I know I spend so much of my career chasing after advisories and warnings.

00:24We talk about severe thunderstorm warnings, tornado warnings, blizzard warnings. I chase all

00:28that. Heat warnings not something I chase after but believe it or not of all the warnings that I

00:34would have to be out covering the heat is the one that is the most deadly. We unfortunately see a

00:40lot of fatalities during heat waves. It may surprise you to learn that the weather event

00:44that causes the most fatalities is heat. Although heat related deaths and illnesses are preventable

00:50approximately 1,220 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat every year according

00:56to the CDC and that's why it's so important to pay attention to heat alerts issued by the National

01:01Weather Service. Heat advisories as well as excessive heat watches and excessive heat warnings

01:06different levels of severity in terms of heat those are issued by the National Weather Service

01:11to provide awareness of significant heat that is coming to an area. What constitutes significant

01:16heat differs from one area to another. Places that experience a lot of heat throughout the course of

01:21the summer like Phoenix or places in the desert southwest you need a higher threshold of

01:26temperature so maybe 110 or 115 degrees or higher but in places like the northeast or great lakes

01:31where it doesn't get above 90 or 95 as often it only takes a few days above 90 or 95. Heat

01:36advisories take into account more than just temperature adding humidity to give the heat

01:40index values but there's more to what it feels like outside. Using the AccuWeather app gives you

01:45more insight on heat with the AccuWeather real feel temperature a much more accurate reflection

01:50of what it actually feels like outside. It's not just the temperature but also the dew point how

01:54high the sun is what the sun angle is how strong the sun is if there's cloud cover or not what the

01:59wind is as well. Limiting your exposure to the heat is the best way to avoid heat exhaustion

02:03or heat stroke but if you must be out in the heat pay attention to your body and the surroundings.

02:09It's certainly important to stay hydrated stay in the shade if you can do any type of activity early

02:14or very late in the day when it's not as hot. Check on folks who might be more vulnerable also

02:18check on your pets pets also experience heat stress. Get out and enjoy the summer fun whenever

02:23you can but keep the AccuWeather app handy to let you know if the heat is dangerous.

02:31And I've got my AccuWeather app handy and it's telling me right now that the temperature is 94

02:35degrees Bree but the AccuWeather real feel temperature is 102 so I took the advice of

02:41our man Mr. DePodwin and I moved myself into the shade so I was not out suffering in this heat.

02:47Good to know Tony. I hope you stay cool drink plenty of water and I know you have a cat so

02:53you don't have to necessarily worry about walking the dog but for those around I hear

02:57dog barking make sure you're waiting until it is nice and cool around.