It's no accident that Fort Wayne's first foray into 90-degree temperatures coincided with the Howard family's first trip of the year to the fountains at Headwaters Park.
"It is blisterous hot," said Lara Howard, 37. "We're just trying to keep as cool as possible this summer."
Temperatures on Wednesday peaked at 94 degrees about 5 p.m., 2 degrees shy of the record for the date set in 1929. The heat blast prompted the Indiana State Department of Health to warn Hoosiers about possible health risks, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can be deadly.
People need to stay cool by slowing down, drinking plenty of water, wearing loose-fitting clothing and staying in air conditioning if possible, the state health department said.
Alfred Howard used the stand-in-running-water approach to heat mitigation. The 9-year-old and his two siblings spent much of the afternoon playing in the Headwaters fountains with dozens of other people.
"It makes your hotness just wear off," Alfred said as he took a break on a shady bench with his mother, Lara Howard, and sister Kiara, 10.
Wednesday's heat failed to come close to June's all-time high - 106 degrees on June 25, 1988. But it was the hottest day so far this year, said Mike Rehbein, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Syracuse.
Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control reminded pet owners that animals need special attention in hot weather. Pets should be in areas that are cooled by air conditioning or a fan. Animals kept outside need shady, sheltered places and fresh, clean water.
A high-pressure system has left most of the country east of the Rocky Mountains cloaked in high temperatures. Clear skies and greater exposure to sunlight allow the surface of the Earth to warm quickly, Rehbein said.
A storm system will move through the region today, bringing rain during the day or at night. But after the system passes, temperatures should jump up into the high 80s and low 90s again, Rehbein said.
The heat will stick around until late in the weekend, when the high-pressure ridge moves out of the area. By next week, highs should be back to their normal ranges in the low 80s, Rehbein predicted.
