By KWMU
St. Louis, MO –
| To see a list of cooling centers in the St. Louis region, click here. |
A sweltering heat wave has settled over Missouri with no relief in site. Health experts and forecasters are urging residents to turn on air conditioning and take it easy.
High temperatures are expected to be 100 degrees or higher all week.
Debbie Fagin is a spokeswoman for Operation Weather Survival. She says one of the dangers in this kind of heat is that people are sometimes hesitant to turn on their air conditioners,
"It costs about $1.50 a day for someone to run their air conditioner and if they would cool their home off for two hours a day, during the hottest part of the day they could keep themselves from becoming too hot."
The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings in several Missouri counties. In the St. Louis bi-state region, officials have opened more than 80 cooling centers, including some offering transportation to the sites.
People also can find a cooling center near them by calling 1-800-427-4626.
The city of St. Louis has opened three of its recreation centers are open today for those wanting to get out of the heat:
-Wohl Center in Sherman Park
-Tandy Center in Tandy Park
-Marquette Center in Marquette Park
Also, all city pools will have extended hours during the heat wave -- 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.