By Mike Lavelle
The news media has recently reported about the heat wave that swept across the country, and Europe (Britain saw record days of heat, for July, with temperatures over 100 degrees). Many of us from Arizona are very familiar with what to do when it gets hot outside, but as a reminder, I located a free to reprint article, titled “We’re Having A Heat Wave” on page 13. I spent time in places where it was hot with high humidity (Saudi Arabia), and a “dry” heat (Yuma). Without getting into the humid vs dry heat debate, I can say that hot is hot, and much of what works for one works for the other, as we practice heat awareness safety.
One of the most noticeable factors of summer living in Arizona is learning to do things early in the morning and avoiding being outside in the afternoon. However, there are lots of things still to do, early in the morning or the later afternoon.
The Desert Museum has their Saturday Cool Summer Nights activities running through the end of August (open until 10:00 PM). Sabino Canyon offers early morning hiking and cooling off in the Sabino Creek, and you can visit the Visitor Center and see their exhibits. Another break from the heat could be a visit to Colossal Cave Mountain Park or Kartchner Caverns State Park. Departing in the early morning, a drive to Bisbee or Kitt Peak to enjoy their Night Observation Program is another option. Another possibility is to spend some time at the Park Place Mall, and perhaps take in a movie!
Finally, it is not a bad idea to keep some water with you in your vehicle, even if it will get hot (get it in a BPA free container). If your vehicle breaks down, hot water is better than no water. I was reminded of this some years back when my motorcycle at the time had a fuel indicator problem that left me running out of gas and having to push the motorcycle in the summer heat!
