Maggie at home. Photo: Lauren Whisenhunt

Earlier this month I was reading a story about how seven puppies died while traveling in the cargo section of an American Airlines flight from Tulsa to Chicago and of course this just broke my heart. Heat is thought to be the cause of the puppies’ death as they died shortly after arriving in Chicago. Cargo handlers noticed the puppies were lethargic and they were rushed to a veterinarian’s office but it was too late. Airlines do have heat restrictions for animals flying in cargo, but an American Airlines spokesperson said the flight complied with the company policy that prohibits shipping animals when outside ground temperatures exceed 85 degrees. 17 other dogs were onboard the same flight and they all survived. It’s still uncertain what the ages and breed of the puppies were. The plane was originally suppose to take off at 6:30am but it was delayed an hour because of storms in the Chicago area. The NWS recorded 86 degrees in Tulsa while the plane was still on the ground.

If you are shipping or traveling with a pet in cargo, be sure and check the weather and make sure it’s not too hot for them to travel. Check with your airline as most of them have polices to protect animals from traveling in extreme heat or cold. Pets will not be accepted by some airlines (to travel in cargo) when the current or forecasted temperature at the arrival or departure location is above 84ºF. Also, try to choose a flight that leaves after dark or early in the morning. Small dogs and cats that can fit under the seat can travel in the cabin with you in airline approved pet carriers and some airlines sell them at the check-in counter.

Purebred Dog: $400. Airline Approved Travel Bag: $45. Safety of your Pet: Priceless! Photo: www.southwest.com

If you’d like to learn more on how to protect your pet in the every day summer heat, you can check out a posting I wrote last month here.

This is the second weekend in a row that parts of Texas and the Gulf Coast states will see heat index values rise to between 100-105F. South Texas could reach a heat index value near 110F. With the summer heat and humidity already in full force across parts of the southern U.S., it’s time to start thinking of ways you can beat the heat this summer.

Saturday: Hot and humid conditions will continue across the Gulf Coast states this weekend. Heat index values near 100F are likely for most areas with the highest values expected across South Texas. The extreme heat is indicated in the orange shading, the green represents the heavy rain potential and the red shows the threat for severe weather from the Plains into Ohio Valley.

Sunday/Monday: Highs will climb into the 90’s from Texas to Virginia with heat index values between 100-105F.

The summer heat takes a toll on our bodies, but especially for those that work outdoors or do strenuous exercises (i.e. runners, football practices, etc) that require you to be outdoors for long periods of time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heat stroke kills approximately 300 people each year. What exactly causes a heat stroke? Well, usually our bodies are able to cool themselves off by sweating and radiating heat through the skin. However, a heat stroke is caused when heat builds up to dangerous levels and your body’s cooling system begins to fail. If a person becomes dehydrated and cannot sweat enough to cool their body, their internal temperatures may rise to dangerously high levels causing heat stroke.

What are the symptoms of heat stroke?

The following are the most common symptoms of heat stroke, although each individual may experience symptoms differently.

·         headache

·         dizziness

·         disorientation, agitation or confusion

·         sluggishness or fatigue

·         seizure

·         hot, dry skin that is flushed but not sweaty

·         a high body temperature

·         loss of consciousness

·         rapid heartbeat

·         hallucinations

Here are a few recommendations you can follow to help stay safe in the summer heat.

1. Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids.
2. Avoid the intense heat of the day by running errands, working outside or exercising early in the morning or late in the day.
3. Dress in light, loose-fitting clothes. Avoid dark colored clothes which absorb heat.
4. Be aware of what prescriptions you are taking because some of them, even over-the-counter ones, can increase the chance of heat-related illness. Antipsychotic medications, antihistamines, antidepressants and some muscle relaxants are just a few that generally interfere with sweating.
5. Be safe and take extra precautions in the heat. Don’t overdo it!

On Wednesday, Mandalay municipal authorities reported that at least 230 people have died so far of heat stress in Myanmar’s second largest city of Mandalay. Extremely hot temperatures over the past two months in Myanmar have broken the highest in history. Temperatures here have soared to 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) which has taken a toll on residents. The local hospitals and private clinics have been filled treating patients of all ages who have been suffering from heat-related illnesses. According to a report, among those who have died of heat stress were liquor drinkers. This has prompted the Mandalay local authorities to ban the sell of liquor in the city.

Image: ImpactWeather

Not only are humans being affected by the extreme heat, but some drinking water ponds in suburban areas in Yangon have dried up and thousands of fish bred in southwestern Ayeyawaddy division have died daily of heat stress.

From late April through mid-May, temperatures in central Myanmar have reached record highs in over four decades, peaking at between 43 and 47 degrees Celsius (109.4-116.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in such regions as Minbu, Magway, Mandalay, Monywa, Nyaung Oo, Chauk and Mingyan as well as in Yangon and Bago over the past week, which are 5 to 8 degree Celsius above April average temperatures.

I’m a gearhead. Motorcycles mostly, but cars, too. So the headline "Fastest Golf Slowed by Aussie Heat" from the Brisbane Times grabbed the gearhead lobe of my brain as well as the (just a bit smaller) meteorological lobe of my brain. Turns out Europe’s largest automaker has decided to not send the new high-performance Golf "R" to Australia because of heat concerns. Instead, a detuned version will be shipped Down Under. The less powerful Aussie-bound AWD V-6 Volkswagen Golf will put 252hp to the pavement as compared to the Europe version with 266hp. In America the 4-cylinder turbo "GTI"  packs just 200hp. You’ll recall I blogged about the heat in Australia a couple of weeks ago, and here’s yet another example of how the infamous Australian heat is causing more problems – this time for the country’s performance drivers and gearheads plus Volkswagen Australia who would doubtlessly love to sell the fastest Volkswagen on the market to eager drivers.

Heat concerns? As far as the engine is concerned the cooler the ambient air temperature, the higher the oxygen content per cubic centimeter (cc); more oxygen stuffed into an engine’s cylinders equates to more horsepower. On the other hand, more heat equates to less oxygen per given cc, less performance and more difficulty managing ideal operating temperatures. Today’s small high-performance engines are miracles of modern engineering, but they rely on sophisticated and sensitive systems to keep operating temperatures within just a few degrees of optimum. Volkswagen engineers determined that the Australian heat would overwhelm the new Golf and performance would suffer, perhaps even leading to damaged engines (and unhappy customers).

The car’s hot; the weather’s hotter. Photo: Volkswagen Golf "R". Brisbane Times and Volkswagen

How hot is too hot? In the case of the Golf, that’s a decision for the Golf’s German designers as they consider the meteorological data. Australia’s annual mean temperatures (mathematical average of daily highs and lows) range from the mid-teens in degrees Celsius (59-62F) in southeastern Australia to the mid-to-upper 20s (81-83F) in areas of northern Australia. Again, these are daily averages spread across the entire year. Conversely, Germany – home of Volkswagen – is more temperate with summer temperatures only briefly reaching into the mid-20s (85-87F). Melbourne, in the peak of the summer south of the Equator today is expected to reach 90F; 95F in Adelaide; 91F in Darwin, while for the past month heat extremes have been plaguing much of Australia.

Why only the "lower" horsepower hi-perf VW "GTI" here in the States? Yes, there are areas of the United States with extreme temperatures, but even southern cities like Phoenix (annual avg. mean 74.2F) and Houston (annual avg. mean 68.8F) can’t match the ongoing heat of Australia, especially the northern 1/3 of Australia. The real reason I believe, is not the weather. With the exception of the small-ish "tuner car" crowd (remember "The Fast and the Furious"?), American drivers just haven’t embraced the high-performance small car market like Europe and other parts of the world, preferring bigger cars and bigger engines.

It doesn’t take a meteorologist to know Volkswagen’s decision will now leave Australian drivers out in the cold (ba DUM dum!)