The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG and PAVEL BAILEY

Tribune Staff Reporters

SCORCHING weather sent The Bahamas to a record heat index on Saturday, with Chief Meteorological Officer Patricia Weeks warning that the heat would worsen.

Ms Weeks said the heat index –– the way the temperature feels to the human body –– was 105F to 115F in recent days.

While the met office recorded maximum temperatures at 95F on Saturday, Bahamas First Alert Weather recorded temperatures in Carmichael that reached 102F –– an unofficial record for the country, according to Craig Lowe, founder of the Storm Intercept Weather Network.

“August, September, those are our warmest months, and those are the times when you usually have storms picking up around that time that’s like the peak of the hurricane season,” said Ms Weeks.

“The saviour has actually been the dust that we’ve been experiencing these last couple days because, you know, one of the fuels for the storm is moisture and so even though you’re getting the heat, we weren’t providing any moisture over our area.”

 Yesterday, Bahamas Humane Society President Kim Aranha said pet owners should be on the lookout for signs their animals are suffering from a heat stroke.

 She said local veterinarians have seen an uptick in animals suffering from heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses.

 “If your animal is showing any form of distress, lethargy, throwing up, won’t eat, won’t drink, that could be a sign of heat stroke,” Ms Aranha said. “One of the first things to do is try to get them cooler. Put ice on their neck, just like you would with a human. Put a cool towel on their tummies. Get their temperature down as soon as you can and call a vet. Various vets have told me that they have seen cases of heat stroke come into their offices.”

 “Some other signs that your dog is suffering from heat exhaustion are they will collapse like a human would. They’ll shut down. They won’t move, they’ll flop, they won’t drink. Their heads would be lolling to one side, their tongue will be out, they’ll be panting uncontrollably. Don’t forget that a dog cannot sweat. The only way a dog can sweat is through panting. But that doesn’t mean he can’t become dehydrated. You may have to take your dog to the vet and he may have to put him on the drip.”

 Ms Aranha also urged pet owners to ensure their animals always have access to cool water and remain in shaded or temperature-controlled areas.

 “A dog will not necessarily always tell you when he is in distress, so you’ve got to be very observant, but you also have got to think for him. There is no need for a dog to walk on a hot road in the middle of the day, keep him at home. If you have air conditioning, then please let him be in the air conditioning. If you don’t, let him have access to an area where there’s a fan. If you go out and you commonly leave your dog in the yard you must make sure that there’s an area that stays shaded all day long. You got to look in your yard and make sure there is always an area that is shady.”