Heat Advisory, Humidity Bring First Ozone Action Day of Season

Royal Oak is dealing with , a heat advisory and now the first Ozone Action day of the season.

Several days of hot, humid weather, high temperatures, little wind and little chance of rain have contributed to the high concentrations of ground-level ozone that is expected today, according to SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. This is also the earliest Ozone Action day called since 1999.

At 1:45 p.m. today, it was 91 degrees with a "real feel" temperature of 95 degrees.

Students and teachers are feeling every bit of it, too. Todd Schwartz has a son at , which does not have air conditioning in the classrooms. His son is "borderline asthmatic," so he brought him home at lunchtime. "It just too hot there," he said.

"It's hard to teach when it's that hot and the kids don't pay attention, either."

Schwartz said staff have been taking the students to the media center and Great Room, which are cooled.

Kris Ryan, who teaches at , has four fans blowing and reports it's 94 degrees in her second-floor classroom. "I am dripping wet," she said.

Temperatures are expected to soar into the upper 90s today. With a heat advisory issued until midnight tonight, heat index values will again range from the mid-90s to around 100 from late this morning into this evening, the National Weather Service said.

Temperatures in Metro Detroit hit 94 degrees at 3 p.m. Tuesday, breaking the 43-year-old record for June 7 by 1 degree, the NWS said. 

If you do have to work or otherwise spend time outside in the heat, take extra precautions such as taking frequent breaks and drinking lots of water. Try to schedule strenuous activities in the early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and call 911 if you suspect you or someone else is in trouble. 

Early signs of heat-related illness are pretty nonspecific, such as nausea, vomiting, headache and general malaise, said Dr. Jeffrey Ditkoff, an Emergency Center physician at .

Signs of more severe heat illness include confusion, disorientation, loss of consciousness and seizure, he said.  “The most susceptible are the very young, the very old and those with underlying illnesses,” Ditkoff said.

Following are some things SEMCOG recommends residents can do to help keep the air clean:

• Try not to refuel on Ozone Action days: If you need to refuel, fill up in the evening when the weather is cooler. Also, don’t “top off” the tank.
• Reduce automobile use: Plan to carpool, use public transit, walk, bike or work at home.
• Relax: Choose the lawn chair over the lawn mower.