Photo: It’s a hot one Wednesday.
Usually, when Belmont is placed under a weather advisory, the town is expecting a storm to bring a foot or two of snow.
But on this Wednesday, Aug. 26, the “Town of Homes” will experience a second day of just plain hot.
As of 5 a.m., the National Weather Service in Norton issued an advisory as the region suffers under the most oppressive heat events of the year. The service placed most of eastern Massachusetts under an Excessive Heat Warning until 9 p.m. tonight. An Excessive Heat Warning means that a prolonged period of dangerously hot temperatures will occur. The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will combine to create a dangerous situation in which heat illnesses are likely.
While the Weather Underground Payson Park weather station is forecasting a high of 95 degrees F, the heat index temperature – which takes into effect humidity in the calculation of how hot it is – will exceed 100 degrees this afternoon.
The heat and humidity may cause heat stress during outdoor exertion or extended exposure, according to the NWS. Take extra precautions, if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sunshine, and check up on relatives and neighbors.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has issued an Air Quality Action Day for Ground-Level Ozone, in effect from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. An Air Quality Action day means that Ground Level Ozone concentrations within the region may approach or exceed unhealthy standards for sensitive groups including people with heart or lung disease such as asthma, older adults, children, teenagers, and people who are active outdoors. People with lung disease are at greater risk from exposure to ozone, while people with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to particle pollution.
People in sensitive groups should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion; take more breaks and do less intense activities, and follow asthma action plans and keep quick-relief medicine handy. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.