A massive heat dome has parked over most of America, including Kansas and Missouri, and everyone from metro libraries to local moms has swung into action.
“It’s very chill, relaxed. I love it here,” Jaquese Wigfall said Monday while watching her kids at the water pad at 41st and Gilliam Road in Kansas City.
She was sitting under a tent to escape the relentless sun. The temperature was already 94 degrees before noon. The splash pad is a regular hot weather respite for her and the kids.
“Yesterday was really hot. It’s hot today, too, but yesterday was, oh, it was kind of unbearable,” she said.
Unbearable — and dangerous.
The National Weather Service on Monday extended the region’s extreme heat warning until Friday. The forecast calls for highs in the low to mid-90s. But the heat index could reach 110 degrees.
There’s a “major risk of heat-related illnesses for much of the population, especially those without effective cooling or hydration,” the weather service warned.
To help with that, cooling centers have opened across the metro. The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has a map showing cooling centers across Kansas City, including on the Kansas side.
Many of those cooling centers are public libraries.
“During periods of extreme heat or cold, we naturally see an increase in visitors seeking a comfortable environment,” Kansas City Public Library spokesperson Coletta Hummel said.
At the Johnson County Library, spokesperson Elissa Andre said there is no estimate for how many additional people come in during scorching weather.
“I do know anecdotally that many families visit the library during heat waves to entertain kids in our play spaces, or cool off after playing at nearby parks/sports activities,” she said.
Extending the extreme heat warning means there will be no relief for Friday’s World Cup match between Colombia and Ghana at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City — or at the FIFA Fan Festival, located on the grounds of the National WWI Museum and Memorial.
Meteorologists and health experts say people can beat the heat by drinking plenty of water, wearing light-colored clothing and avoiding outdoor activities during the warmest parts of the day.
Keep a close eye on your pets during a heat wave, too. The ASPCA recommends giving your pet a shady place to get out of the sun, providing them plenty of fresh water, not over-exercising them and keeping them indoors in extremely hot weather.
