PNSALY
NYZ032-033-038>043-047>054-058>061-063>066-082>084-VTZ013>015-
181900-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
800 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2008

...TODAY IS HEAT AWARENESS DAY IN NEW YORK AND VERMONT... 
 
THE NEW YORK STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE...VERMONT 
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
OFFICES SERVING NEW YORK AND VERMONT PROCLAIM TODAY...JUNE 
18...HEAT AWARENESS DAY IN NEW YORK AND VERMONT. CONSIDERING THE 
HARMFUL EFFECTS OF EXTREME HEAT...IT IS IMPORTANT THAT NEW YORK 
AND VERMONT RESIDENTS AND VISITORS UNDERSTAND THE DANGERS OF 
EXTREME HEAT. 
 
HEAT KILLS BY TAXING THE BODY BEYOND ITS ABILITY TO COOL. HOT 
TEMPERATURES...COMBINED WITH HIGH HUMIDITY...INCREASE THE 
CHANCES FOR DEVELOPING HEAT DISORDERS. 
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS DEVELOPED THE HEAT INDEX TO 
MEASURE HEAT SEVERITY. THE HEAT INDEX...GIVEN IN DEGREES 
FAHRENHEIT...PROVIDES A MEASURE OF HOW HOT IT REALLY FEELS 
WHEN THE EFFECT OF HUMIDITY IS CONSIDERED. REMEMBER...HEAT INDEX 
VALUES ARE COMPUTED FOR SHADY...LIGHT WIND CONDITIONS. EXPOSURE 
TO FULL SUNSHINE CAN INCREASE THE INDEX VALUES BY 15 DEGREES OR 
MORE. FURTHERMORE...STRONG WINDS...PARTICULARLY WITH HOT...DRY 
AIR CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. 
 
WHEN EXTREME HEAT THREATENS...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
OFFICES SERVING NEW YORK AND VERMONT WILL ISSUE ONE OF THE 
FOLLOWING APPROPRIATE ALERTS...

...AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING...WHEN THE HEAT INDEX IS EXPECTED 
TO EQUAL OR EXCEED 105 DEGREES FOR TWO OR MORE HOURS.

...AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WATCH...WHEN THE POSSIBILITY EXISTS FOR THE 
HEAT INDEX TO REACH WARNING CRITERIA. 
 
...A HEAT ADVISORY...WHEN THE HEAT INDEX IS EXPECTED TO BE 100 
TO 104 FOR TWO HOURS OR MORE. 
 
GIVEN THE EXPECTED HEAT INDEX VALUES...THE FOLLOWING HEAT 
DISORDERS ARE LIKELY... 
 
...130 DEGREES OR HIGHER...HEATSTROKE 
 
...105 TO 130 DEGREES...HEAT CRAMPS...HEAT EXHAUSTION...AND 
POSSIBLY HEATSTROKE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE AND/OR PHYSICAL 
ACTIVITY. 
 
...90 TO 105 DEGREES...HEAT CRAMPS...AND HEAT EXHAUSTION 
POSSIBLE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE AND/OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 
 
...80 TO 90 DEGREES...FATIGUE POSSIBLE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE 
AND OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. 
 
LATER TODAY WE WILL CONSIDER THE MEDICAL IMPLICATIONS OF EXTREME 
HEAT. FIRST...WE WILL FOCUS ON PREVENTION OF HEAT ILLNESS. 
THEN...WE WILL REVIEW THE SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF HEAT RELATED 
DISORDERS.