Tips to beat brutal, stifling NJ heat — could hit 100 degrees

With very hot weather in the forecast for the next several days, it's a good idea to take extra precautions that keep you cool.

“Drink plenty of water, spend time inside air-conditioned places and try n ot to over-exert yourself in the heat and humidity. Also, take time to check on the elderlyand young children to ensure they are safe during this hot and humid weather,” then-Health Commissioner Mary O'Dowd said in 2013. It's still good advice.'

Our own Chief Meteorologist Dan Zarrow warns:

"Thermometers go off the rails by the end of the weekend, as we have to ring some alarm bells for potentially dangerous heat and humidity. An Excessive Heat Watch has been issued for most of inland New Jersey from Sunday through Tuesday. High temperatures are forecast to reach the lower to mid 90s. I'll even so far as to say somewhere in New Jersey could hit 100 degrees during this heat streak."

Serious health complications can result from high heat. Heat exhaustion is the body's response to excessive loss of water and salt through sweating. Those most prone to heat exhaustion include the elderly and those with high blood pressure. Symptoms include: Heavy sweating, weakness or fatigue, dizziness, confusion, nausea and shallow breathing.

A list of New Jersey cooling centers can be found at here. Residents can also contact their local or county offices of emergency management regarding any open air-conditioned senior centers or cooling stations, or call 211.

This article was originally published in 2019 and has been updated for 2020.