FORECASTERS: HEAT WILL REMAIN UNTIL WEEKEND

A heat index hovering in the 110-degree range is expected to blanket the Cape Girardeau area until Friday, according to National Weather Service officials in Paducah.

"There does not look like a big change in the pattern over the next several days but enough to give us some slight relief into the weekend," NWS meteorologist Rick Shanklin said Wednesday.

For that reason, the weather service has upgraded its weather notice from a heat advisory to an excessive heat warning.

"The main difference is that once we have heat several days in a row, we go to a heat warning because we see that a lot of the fatalities and sickness are related to the duration of the heat in addition to the severity of the heat," Shanklin said.

The heat index is a calculation of the actual temperature plus the humidity and reflects what humans and animals actually feel when they are outdoors.

According to the NWS, the heat index topped out at 111 degrees Wednesday, which is the result of a temperature that reached about 97 degrees and humidity that lingered around 50 percent.

Area health and emergency officials are advising the elderly and others who are susceptible to heat-related illnesses to seek shelter anywhere there is air conditioning.

In Cape Girardeau, a year-round relief shelter can be found at the Osage Community Center, 1625 N. Kingshighway. The center is open daily from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

American Red Cross officials say people also can come to their building, 2430 Myra Drive, for relief.

"They're welcome to come into the chapter during the day. We have air conditioning here, and we can offer volunteer activities for you to do here," said Mary Burton, executive director of the Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross.

The bottom line, Burton said, is that people need to get out of the heat, especially between late morning and late afternoon.

"Take a walk at the mall, go see a movie. If you've got anything that has to be done outside, do it in the very early morning hours or the very late evening hours," Burton said.

Southeast Missouri Hospital treated and released one patient Tuesday for a heat-related condition, and St. Francis emergency room personnel said they had treated "a few this week."

Southeast and St. Francis hospitals each have treated four patients for heat-related illnesses since Aug. 1, according to health officials.

In all, Southeast and St. Francis hospitals have treated 16 patients for heat-related illnesses since June 1.

According to 1999 state statistics, 92 Missourians died because of heat-related conditions. Of those, 68 were people aged 65 or older. And of the 68, 24 had no air conditioning, 19 had air conditioners but would not use them and 11 had air conditioners that did not work properly.

Anyone who knows of an elderly person who may be suffering from the heat and who may need assistance can call the state's toll-free adult abuse hotline at 1-800-392-0210. If the hotline call identifies a person who may be in a life-threatening situation, a member of the Division of Aging's network will quickly contact that person.

Area emergency personnel and health officials want to remind those who must be out in the heat of tips to prevent being overcome by the heat.

STAYING COOL

* Drink lots of water and juice. Avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks, such as soda and tea, because they dehydrate the body.

* Eat light meals.

* Wear light-weight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.

* Wear a hat.

* If a person who is out in the heat begins to feel light-headededness, nausea, confusion, sleepiness or profuse sweating, he or she should take a break in the air conditioning or in the shade. These are the signs of heat-related illness.

* Schedule outdoor activities before noon or in the evening.

* Do not leave infants, children, the elderly or pets unattended in parked cars or other hot environments.