The unofficial start of summer is coming this weekend.
If your plans for the three-day Memorial Day weekend bring thoughts of heading to a theme park in Orlando, better plan for some typical Florida heat.
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Early forecasts call for temperatures in the low 90s over the weekend for Orlando, and that’s not counting any the heat index brought by Florida’s typical humidity, which could hit triple digits by Saturday, May 23.
Whether you’re new to Florida, an experienced resident, or a visitor, here’s how to enjoy your visit without wilting in the heat.
What’s Orlando, Florida, forecast for Memorial Day weekend?
Orlando has already set one record earlier in May, hitting 97 degrees on May 7.
Since then, temps have been hovering in the mid 80s.
That’s about to change.
Expect high temperatures in low 90s through the holiday weekend, with heat indices creeping into the upper 90s and possibly 101 by Sunday, May 24, the National Weather Service Melbourne said.
“Humid conditions and little relief overnight will lead to increasing coverage of moderate HeatRisk. Use caution during the heat of the day, especially this weekend, by staying hydrated and taking breaks from the heat.”
Here’s the holiday weekend forecast for Orlando:
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How to beat the heat, especially at Florida theme parks
Whether you’ve saved for months or are just popping over to enjoy one of Orlando’s theme parks over the long holiday weekend, you want to have fun. And all those commercials don’t show the hidden enemy: Florida’s notorious heat or those oh-so-typical afternoon downpours.
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Here’s what you can do to “survive” the heat and still enjoy yourself:
CentralFloridaVisitorGuide offers these additional tips to stay cool:
Symptoms that show you’re too hot
“If your body gets too hot, you can get sick,” the Centers for Disease Control warned.
“Know the symptoms of your body overheating and know when to seek medical care.”
Symptoms can include:
Weather alerts issued in Florida
Use NWS radar to predict when storms will hit theme parks
What is National Weather Service HeatRisk?
HeatRisk takes into consideration:
What do NWS HeatRisk numbers and colors mean?
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What’s next?
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Cheryl McCloud is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://news-journalonline.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Tips to survive heat at Florida theme parks over Memorial Day weekend
Reporting by Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
