Doctors urge public to stay away from heatstroke after extreme heat warnings in South Florida
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Florida. The temperature in South Florida is rising on a record.
The heat index is in the triple digits and its brutal temperatures have now triggered extreme heat warnings in Miami-Dade and Broward counties until Friday evening.
For athletes like Miami Hurricanes forward Frankie Tinilau, pre-season preparation is critical, but under these conditions, experts recommend drinking plenty of fluids or staying indoors with air conditioning and out of the sun.
“When you were training there this morning, you definitely felt the heat coming on,” Tinilau told Local 10 News. “I feel like it was really such a dry heat today and it really just burned us up, so we wrapped it up and went inside.”
Local 10 News also spoke to construction workers at a Mobil car wash in Miami who said working indoors was not an option other than moisturizing and protecting skin from the sun.
Outside workers are exposed to extreme conditions and simply hope that their precautions will prove sufficient for their safety.
The recent heat wave sparked protests outside the Miami-Dade County government building on Tuesday, calling for action to protect outdoor workers exposed to the dangerous heat.
Their demands were answered Tuesday when Miami-Dade County Commissioners unanimously passed an interim measure to pass a thermal standard for workers.
Meanwhile, as the summer heat reaches record temperatures, South Florida residents have likely noticed changes in our waterways as well.
Residents spotted algal blooms along Indian Creek and 29th Street in Miami Beach. The picture below shows another flowering of the Coral Gables channel.
algae bloom. (VPLG)
“Summer is a more active time for algae blooms. In particular, blue-green algae prefer warmer temperatures,” Local 10, who also spoke with Tom Frankowitz, research associate professor at Florida International University, told Local 10.
He says if you spot any algae on the surface, use common sense and stay away.
“If we see surface foam on the water, swimming in that water is not the best idea, and you should probably keep your pets away from it, because chances are it won’t be harmful,” Frankovich said.
Dr. Hani Atalla, Chief Physician at Jackson Memorial Hospital, has given advice to anyone who is starting to feel symptoms of heat exhaustion.
“You really have to watch out for starting to feel very dizzy, nauseous, you might vomit. These are the initial signs that people will have when they feel heat exhaustion,” he said.
Atallah says it’s important to recognize symptoms early to prevent them from getting worse.
“Apart from the temperature, you start things like liver damage, neurological damage, and these are things that become life-threatening,” he added.
He also advises close monitoring of young children, elderly people with medical conditions, and pregnant women, as they are thought to be at the highest risk.
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