As a heat wave grips the Fox Valley, Aurora officials are reminding residents to take precautions to deal with the dangerously high temperatures blanketing the region.
The National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for the Chicago area this week, with the advisory expected to remain in place until midnight Thursday, National Weather Service Meteorologist Ricky Castro said Tuesday.
In a Facebook post, Aurora officials said there are cooling centers in the city for those who need them. For more information, go to www.aurora.il.us/CoolingCenters.
A list of available cooling centers in Kane County is available on the Kane County Health Department’s website at https://www.kanehealth.com/Pages/Warming-Cooling-Centers.aspx.
During the hot weather, Aurora officials in the city’s Facebook post said residents should stay in an air-conditioned indoor location as much as possible; drink plenty of fluids; schedule outdoor activities carefully; wear loose, lightweight and light-colored clothing; wear and reapply sunscreen as indicated on the package; check on friends and neighbors, especially the elderly and disabled; and never leave children or pets unattended in cars.
The scorching weather is having an impact in a number of ways around the Aurora area.
The opening of Aurora’s midweek Farmers Market, which was scheduled for Wednesday at West Plaza at 1999 W. Galena Blvd., has been pushed back a week due to the excessive heat, officials said.
The market, which will run from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Wednesdays, will now open for the season July 8 and run through Sept. 2.
Felicia Freitag, Aurora farmers market manager, said the decision was made to cancel Wednesday’s opener “after talking with my vendors.”
“I reached out to the vendors and whether they thought it was a good idea or not, and a majority said we should probably cancel,” Freitag said. “We also work with the Emergency Management Agency of the city of Aurora which helps with these things as well.”
Freitag said having the market run a week after its planned closing date of Sept. 2 “is something we would probably be open to if the vendors wanted to go another week.”
The Fox Valley Park District closed Blackberry Farm in Aurora early at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and will do so again on Wednesday due to the heat, district officials said. The park is normally open until 3:30 p.m. on weekdays.
District staff members will reassess conditions Wednesday to determine Thursday’s schedule for Blackberry Farm, officials said.
Also, the district’s Red Oak Nature Center is closing to the public at noon this week, rather than the usual 4 p.m., so summer campers can complete activities in the air conditioning in the Nature Center, district officials said.
Outdoor camps and programming at the district, such as MVP Sports camps, can be moved inside during the hottest times of the day, according to officials. If indoor accommodations can’t be made, outdoor programming will be postponed and rescheduled, if applicable, officials said.
The district’s outdoor pools – Splash Country Water Park and Phillips Park Family Aquatic Center – are popular during peak heat, when the safety of staff remains paramount, district officials said. More popsicles, sports drinks and water are provided to lifeguards, while supervisors adjust rotations to keep guards off the hot decks for longer periods of time, district officials said.
The hot weather is also a concern on the area’s roads.
The Illinois Tollway mobilized for the dangerous weather by launching its 24-hour-a-day Hot Weather Patrols during which the agency deploys additional roadway crews to more quickly locate and assist customers stranded along its system during the hot and humid conditions.
Kane County Department of Transportation officials said that due to the heat supervisors are checking on all crews throughout the day and having them take longer breaks.
Officials said that all crews have plenty of water and the county is also providing Gatorade. Popsicles with electrolytes are also offered to the crews, officials said.
KDOT officials also said that on Monday, all crews were briefed on warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Carolyn Stein of the Naperville Sun and freelance reporter David Sharos contributed to this story.
