Experts recommend preparing your body now for central NC’s expected soaring holiday weekend heat wave

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — As you finalize your Fourth of July weekend plans, you should also plan for extreme heat next week.

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By Thursday, we could see temperatures hit or exceed 100 degrees.

While Friday was hot, it’s nothing compared to what’s projected for late next week and the weekend.

In Raleigh, Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park was busy on Friday with families just trying to cool down.  

“One, we need something to do. And two, this is a nice compromise when it’s so hot outside. But we don’t want to be stuck inside,” said parent Andrea Osborne.

Between Watermill Mountain and the Fountain Plaza, people salvaged some fun in the summer heat.

“We tried doing the playground for a little bit was very hot. Luckily, they have the four front porches. We got a popsicle over there and then we were like, It’s still so hot. So, we came over to the water section to get some splashes in,” said Courtney Prater, who took her child to the park Friday.

Temperatures could reach 100 as the high each day for the Fourth of July weekend.

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“Being prepared is getting plenty of sleep and getting plenty of hydration and start off not trying to hydrate once you’re hot, but actually make sure your body’s as ready as it can be before you go into the heat,” said Doctor Ryan Lamb, director of the emergency department at UNC Rex.

Lamb says for people dealing with medical conditions, it’s important to stay on top of taking your medicine.

With the possibility of more people spending time outside because it’s a holiday weekend, the ER could get busy. 

“We expect that, unfortunately, people will get deterioration of their chronic medical conditions as a result of the heat. So sometimes people don’t present as a primary heat-related illness, but it’s related to the heat that have made their chronic medical conditions worse,” Lamb said. “And so, we will see an influx of those patients that come in with an exacerbation of their illness.”

Doctor Lamb says signs of heat exhaustion and stroke can be similar to a viral infection. This includes muscle aches, cramps, feeling lightheaded, nauseous, feeling tired, or even confused.

“As we see more people outside, we’ll also see just primary direct heat-related illness as people are out trying to enjoy themselves and perhaps, you know, overindulging in things like alcohol, which makes it more difficult for your body to compensate.”

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Lamb says if someone is acting abnormally, they should head to a hospital ER.