Know the signs of heat stroke versus heat exhaustion. (Photo from National Weather Service).
With Kentucky under a heat advisory for Friday, the National Weather Service advises drinking lots of water and staying out of the sun, among other precautions.?
Heat indexes could reach 106 Friday, NWS says, in east-, north- and south-central Kentucky.
Thursday night and Friday, temperatures will increase to the low and mid 90s, according to NWS, in parts of Central Kentucky. Scattered thunderstorms may also hit during the night, causing winds and lightning.?
Stay safe during extreme heat with these NWS tips:?
- Drink plenty of water and non-alcoholic fluids
- Stay out of the sun and in air conditioning?
- Avoid strenuous outdoor activities
- Wear lightweight and loose clothes?
- Take rest breaks often?
- Check on loved ones and acquaintances?
- Don’t leave pets or children alone in cars?
- Call 911 if someone around you experiences heat stroke. Symptoms of heat stroke include headaches, confusion, nausea, dizziness and loss of consciousness, among others.?
- Heat exhaustion symptoms include dizziness, weakness, heavy sweating and more. To combat symptoms, loosen clothing, sip water and move into a cooler area. If symptoms don’t improve, get medical help.?
Cooling centers and other resources?
The city of Lexington announced it would discount public pools through Saturday, and Lextran, its bus service, will offer free rides to cooling centers.?
Cooling centers are at:?
- Dunbar Community Center, 545 N. Upper St.
- Tates Creek Community Center, 3460 Campus Way?
- Lexington Park Headquarters, 469 Parkway Drive
- Lexington Senior Center, 195 Life Lane
These cooling centers will be open 9 a.m. – 9 p.m. through Saturday.?
Louisville will also have cooling centers at:
- Neighborhood Place, eight locations. For details call 502-574-5000.
- Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation’s 14 community centers around the city
- Louisville Free Public Library, 17 locations.
- Senior Nutrition Sites, 14 locations.
Louisville’s bus service, TARC, is also waiving fees for unhoused people who need a ride to these shelters:
- Wayside Christian Mission, 432 East Jefferson Street
- Salvation Army Center, 911 South Brooks Street
This story may update.?
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Sarah Ladd
Sarah Ladd is a Louisville-based journalist from West Kentucky who's covered everything from crime to higher education. She spent nearly two years on the metro breaking news desk at The Courier Journal. In 2020, she started reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic and has covered health ever since. As the Kentucky Lantern's health reporter, she focuses on mental health, LGBTQ+ issues, children's welfare, COVID-19 and more.
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
