Summer arrived with force across the Alabama Gulf Coast: Mobile and Baldwin counties recorded their first heat advisory day of 2022 — and forecasters expected more to follow through the week.
At Medal of Honor Park in Mobile, the oppressive conditions had regulars adjusting their routines. “It’s hot, it’s hot like I don’t know, like we’re living up in a sauna or something,” said Kelly Johnson.
Early Birds Beat the Heat
The prevailing strategy among park-goers was simple: get moving before the sun does its worst.
“You always have to get out early, just keep your wits, get out stay mobile and you might live a little bit longer,” said Charles Cantrill as he wrapped up a bike run around the park. Runners, cyclists and dog walkers all squeezed their outdoor time into the morning hours.
Thelma Bunch said her summer plan was even more conservative. “Get the walk in early and then just stay home. We don’t go nowhere, just mostly home.”
An Ominous Sign?
With the season barely underway, some couldn’t help but wonder what August might bring if June felt this punishing.
“Kind of makes me really concerned about hurricanes, being this hot this early,” said Frank Alardo.
Heat advisories are issued when heat index values reach levels considered dangerous, and officials typically urge residents to hydrate, limit outdoor exertion and check on elderly neighbors during stretches of extreme Gulf Coast heat.