Beware: sweltering heat wave this week

The National Weather Service predicts temperatures above 100 degrees in the lower elevations of the foothills this week, prompting county officials to issue a health warning.

Depending on elevation, highs are expected to range from 92 in Twain Harte and Arnold to 104 in Sonora and Angels Camp today. Highs Thursday will range from 94 to 106, Friday from 95 to 107, and Saturday from 96 to 108 Saturday.

High temperatures Saturday through Monday are expected to range from 92 to 107.

Tuolumne County Health Officer Dr. Todd Stolp, and Tracie Riggs, of the Tuolumne County Office of Emergency Services, urged people to:

• have extra water.

• check air conditioners and swamp coolers to ensure they are working.

• wear appropriate clothes and use sunscreen.

Those unaccustomed to working or exercising in hot weather should pace themselves when outdoors, drink 16 ounces of liquids every hour while in the heat, and include some salty food or sports drinks to replace electrolytes (salts in the blood).

If the temperatures exceed levels that are safe for the homeless or those with special needs, sites will be opened as cooling centers. Locations will be determined as needed and announced on the Community Information Line, 533-6392.

In the meantime, relief from hot weather is available in public buildings, including the Tuolumne County Library on Greenley Road, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call the library at 533-6392 for branch hours in Tuolumne, Twain Harte and Groveland.

The Tuolumne County Senior Center on Greenley Road is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.