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August 9, 2007

Extreme heat expected to decrease

By Nancy Glassock

A heat wave driving temperatures into the triple digits is expected to loosen its grip on the Tennessee Valley by Saturday, if only slightly, according to a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Huntsville.

A cool front moving in Saturday will bring slight relief by lowering humidity and offering a 10 percent chance for rain, said Robert Boyd, a meteorologist with the NWS.

“It could help us a little, but not a lot,” he said. “The air is just going to be a little dryer.”

High temperatures exceeding 100 degrees and heat indexes as high as 115 prompted the NWS to issue a heat advisory this week, and forecasters say sweltering conditions are expected to continue into the weekend. The NWS predicted a high of 101 degrees today, with a low of 71 degrees tonight, and a high of 99 degrees on Saturday. Forecasters say temperatures will reach the high 90s Sunday, and climb to 103 degrees on Monday.

To beat the heat, people are keeping air conditioners on full blast, breaking Tennessee Valley Authority records, officials said.

The TVA, which covers all of Tennessee, north Alabama and parts of Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky, is the nation’s largest public power company, and generates and provides electricity that Cullman Electric Cooperative distributes. The TVA’s peak on Wednesday was 33,344 megawatts, setting a new system-wide record for the third consecutive day.

According to a company spokesman, Cullman Electric Cooperative officials won’t know definite numbers until later this month, but under the current weather conditions, TVA will probably reach its all time high or set a new record this week. According to Kyle Baggett, vice president of Engineering and Operations at Cullman Electric Cooperative, the all-time high for Cullman EC is 230 megawatts.

Baggett said no weather-related outages were reported as of Thursday, which means the distribution system has been able to handle the extra demand.

“For us, dealing with extreme weather conditions — heat or cold — is like the Super Bowl,” Baggett said. “You spend all year preparing for it, but until it arrives, there is no way of knowing whether or not your hard work will pay off. This heat wave is not over yet, but so far, everything has gone well.”

The NWS is asking the public to stay out of the heat when possible, and to frequently check on anyone who may be at risk, such as children, the elderly and people with chronic ailments. Shade and an ample water supply should also be provided for outdoor pets, according to the NWS.

The NWS offers the following tips to keep safe in the heat:

‰ Slow down. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day. Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.

‰ Dress for summer. Lightweight, light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain normal temperatures.

‰ Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods (like proteins) that increase metabolic heat production also increase water loss.

‰ Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don't feel thirsty. Persons who have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, are on fluid restrictive diets, or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their consumption of fluids.

‰ Do not drink alcoholic beverages.

‰ Spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, spending some time each day (during hot weather) in an air conditioned environment affords some protection.

‰ Don't get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult.

‰ Ensure pets have adequate drinking water, and a shaded area to rest.

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