Health
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One of the secrets of the trend towards warmer temperatures over time is that a lot of the warming is not occurring during the day but at night. In Georgia, overnight low temperatures are rising at a rate that is double the increase in daytime high temperatures. This has special consequences for human and animal…
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Today a new website dedicated to providing resources for dealing with extreme heat was introduced. It is Heat.gov and is a product of the National Integrated Heat Health Information System. I have not heard of this initiative before, but it seems to be similar to the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) that I work…
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Here is something that never occurred to me before but should have. Irrigation is made up of long metal poles and equipment that is out in the field and can be frequently hit by lightning because it is often the tallest thing in the field. I did not realize that it can hold a charge…
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After a cooler weekend, we are expecting to experience much higher temperatures later in the week. Humidity levels will be somewhat lower than last week, so nights should be a little cooler than we saw earlier, but still at the record-setting temperatures we are expecting (record for this time of year, not all-time), heat stress…
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With extremely hot and humid weather covering a good part of the eastern US this week, it is important to know what that kind of temperature extreme can do to the human body. I’ve already heard a few stories about people who were affected by the heat as they worked outside today. Time posted a…
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This week is expected to be hot and humid across most of the Southeast. So hot and humid that it can be dangerous to do outdoor activities such as field work and exercise without taking proper precautions to keep from getting heat illnesses that can be life-threatening. Scientists use Wet Bulb Globe Temperature to determine…
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If you have a dog (or cat) that you take on walks, you have probably heard that you have to be careful of burning their feet on a day that is very warm, since pavement can get hotter than the air. Here is a table that compares surface temperatures of grass, air, and various kinds…