The Heat Safety Tips From The Red Cross You Need This Week

Temps in parts of Iowa and Illinois are supposed to get dangerously high this week and there are certain precautions you will need to take.

According to our friends at KWQC, temperatures could get close to or over 100 degrees in the Quad Cities. Read: we are probably going to absolutely barbecue this week.

via GIPHY

We warned you about stuff you shouldn't leave in your cars when it's this hot outside.

But besides that, there are other things you should consider when you're planning your week. The American Red Cross released a list of ways for you to stay safe this week to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

American Red Cross Tips To Stay Safe In Extreme Heat

1. Drink your water. The Red Cross recommends avoiding caffeine and alcohol but that's not realistic for everyone so just make sure you balance it all out with water.
2. Check on family, neighbors, and friends who don't have air conditioning and/or live alone.
3. If you don't have air conditioning, spend time in public places that do during the hottest part of the day. That includes the library, malls, theaters, etc.
4. Avoid extreme temperature changes. Don't go from a really, really cold place straight out into the heat.
5. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing. Dark colors absorb the sun's rays.
6. Stay indoors and avoid hard workouts
7. Postpone outdoor games and activities.
8. If you have to work outdoors, tag-team with someone so you can switch off taking breaks.
9. Make sure your animals have plenty of cool water and shade.

Heat exhaustion symptoms can include cool, moist, pale or flushed skin, heavy sweating, headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness and exhaustion. If you're around someone who starts feeling this way, move them into a cooler area, remove or loosen any tight clothing, and spray them with water or apply cool, wet cloths. If you ignore these symptoms, the person could suffer from a heat stroke.

According to the CDC, heat is the number one weather-related killer in the U.S. So be careful during the heat wave.