Save Your Skin And Stay Off Sidewalks During The Extreme Heat

We're going to see triple-digit heat again this week in the Borderland and doctors are warning people to be careful on hot sidewalks and streets. The weather will consistently be over 100 degrees throughout the week and won't cool down until Sunday when the high will hit a balmy 92 degrees. Hey, compared to today's high of 104 degrees, 92 is like being in a cool breeze.

While aged El Pasoans are familiar with the high temperatures and everything that comes with it, people who have recently moved to the area may not know some of the rules to follow during the intense heat. And doctors at burn centers around the country are also warning people not familiar with the heat to be careful when outdoors, especially around hot surfaces.

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According to Weather.com, excessive heat warnings have been issued for several regions and here in El Paso, we hit a new record yesterday of 109 degrees on Father's Day. Yesterday was also the hottest day of the year so far according to KVIA. When the temperature outside is that high, you may not realize the surface temperature is even hotter. Dr. Kevin Foster is the director of the Arizona Burn Center and he told the Associated Press that even brief contact with a hot surface can cause deep burns to your skin. The Burn Center reported a 49% in burn injury cases from 2019 to 2020.

While the vast majority of the burns were from hot pavements, burns were also reported from people touching hot surfaces inside vehicles like seat belt buckles, leather seats, door handles, shift sticks, and more. As someone who grew up in 115-degree weather during the summer, I know firsthand how easy it is to burn your legs from leather seats. It happened to me a couple of times during high school.

If you head outdoors during the day, make sure you're wearing shoes, not just socks. You can still feel the hot surface through socks and try to stay hydrated and infdoors during the intense heat.