Staying cool has been a huge priority around here this year. Heat waves + kiddos, especially babies, make it an extra challenge for me.
It's funny to hear someone so far North worry about the heat. But it gets hot everywhere. I don't start to sweat or feel uncomfortable outside until the heat is over 90 degrees. Which is fairly often this time of year in Florida. Most people here don't venture outdoors this time of year. Not because of the heat, but because of the near constant thunderstorms. Not uncommon for parts of Florida to get several inches rapidly in an hour.
We get about 4 weeks a year when high temps and humidity are an issue. We were in the 40Cs with humidity last week, and that seems to be an increasing trend. We had three or four of those heat waves last year in that little July to August window.
I think it's something that a lot of people here underestimate. Most folks here love the summer weather and do everything they can to get out in it. We actually lost someone here in our housing complex last week, who succumbed to it at our little swimming pool. Even the CPR didn't seem to make an impression on the sunbathers, who wrote it off to her age and/or weight. They're probably right that those were a factor, but lack of shade, water, etc... might have made a difference.
We often hike the local trails, and it amazes me how many people we see without hats, water bottles, or even a bag of some sort that might be carrying them, even down at the beaches where the sun and heat are unrelenting. Even in Scouts, when we give kids and parents lots of reminds, the kids will show up without water bottles or hats. Drives me nuts!!
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