The temperatures will cool off over the next few days, but the air will still feel muggy. Heavy rains will be back Wednesday afternoon and possibly continue into the nighttime, according to Storm Center 7 Meteorologist McCall Vrydaghs.
Meanwhile on Monday as the temperatures rose, the Springfield Soup Kitchen and others offered their buildings as cooling centers as the season’s first stretch of severe hot weather hit.
The Springfield Soup Kitchen opened its doors as a cooling center for the first time this summer Monday.
“I can’t believe how hot it is already,” said Fred Stegner, president of the soup kitchen. “The hot months are here to come yet.”
Signs and blue balloons welcomed people into an air conditioned space to cool off and drink ice water beginning at 10 a.m., several hours before the soup kitchen opened for dinner. Visitors were welcome to stay as long as they wanted.
Stegner said last year, someone actually collapsed on the sidewalk in front of the building because of the heat. On Monday, Stegner also handed out a few large fans to those who needed them.
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“We try to help everyone,” he said. “There are a lot of people on the street and they have nowhere to go.”
The kitchen served 210 people that evening. Stegner said whenever the kitchen opens as a cooling center, he tries to alert Springfield City dispatch and post on the kitchen’s social media pages.
In addition to the soup kitchen, the Clark County Combined Health District also partnered with local businesses to open cooling centers — Walmart on Tuttle Road, Walmart on Bechtle Ave. and Meijer on Hillcrest Ave.
“People can come and walk around. They don’t have to buy anything,” said Emma Smales, a public information officer with the health district. “It’s a place where they can just get out of the heat for a little while especially during the peak hours.”
Many public libraries in Clark County were also opened.
The health district didn’t issue an official heat warning or watch, but Smales advised several tips to stay safe in the heat including wearing light, loose clothing, checking on elderly neighbors and relatives and drinking plenty of water.
Smales said symptoms like dizziness, headaches and nausea can all be signs of heat-related illness.
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“Things like alcohol can actually dehydrate you more, so we always recommend water as your first choice in beverage when it’s this hot out,” she said.
Some people still managed to have fun in the heat, though. Dozens of kids were at the Urbana City Pool taking swimming lessons through the YMCA.
Urbana resident, Tyler Wagner brought his three young children to the pool Monday.
“It’s been really, really hot here lately. It’s a nice way to cool off and get them a little education,” he said. “I have three water dogs — that’s for sure.”
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