It’s hot and getting hotter. Here are the records we’ll challenge Labor Day weekend

Hot and hotter. That’s the forecast through Labor Day from the National Weather Service in Hanford, along with advice to stay inside if possible and drink water as temperatures rise to well above normal levels.

Fresno’s high Tuesday was expected to be 101 degrees, rising to 104 on Wednesday, 106 on Thursday, 107 Friday and Saturday and 108 Sunday and Monday.

Don’t expect any relief until after Labor Day, according to J.P. Kalb, a meteorologist with the weather service. Kalb cited a large high pressure system over New Mexico and Arizona that is pushing heat westward as the cause of the unusually high temperatures in the central San Joaquin Valley.

An NWS excessive-heat warning begins at 11 a.m. Wednesday and runs through 8 p.m. Tuesday, the day after Labor Day.

The heat wave will push toward setting records, according to weather service data. Extremes for this time of year include 111 on Sept. 3, 1955 and 109 on Sept. 5, 1904; more recently, it was 109 on Sept. 2, 2017 and 107 on Sept. 4, 1988.

The weather service noted the daytime high temperatures might reach “dangerous levels” as the week progresses. Those most at risk of heat-related illnesses include anyone who spends most of the day outside, including agricultural workers, firefighters, utility workers and landscapers. There are additional risk factors for those who are obese, take certain prescription medications, drink alcohol or have diseases such as diabetes or kidney and heart problems, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Those who must work outdoors should be cognizant of the four states of heat illness, according to the clinic. They are:

• Heat rash, which occurs when sweat is trapped under skin.
• Heat cramps, when excessive sweating causes the body to lose electrolytes.
• Heat exhaustion, caused by loss of fluids.
• Heat stroke, caused by a rising core temperature. Heat stroke is a medical emergency that can lead to organ failure and death.

Anyone experiencing severe heat illness is advised by the clinic to seek emergency treatment.

This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 5:00 AM.