The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for central and southern Indiana, including Monroe County, until 8 a.m. Wednesday.
The NWS forecast for Bloomington this week ranges from 92 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. This would not normally warrant a heat advisory, but the heat index, or what the temperature feels like with the humidity, could exceed 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Prolonged exposure or physical activity in that heat can be dangerous and lead to heat disorders, according to the NWS.
[Related: July 2023 expected to be hottest month on record]
The heat advisory goes until 8 a.m. Wednesday, and an excessive heat watch will remain in effect from Wednesday morning until Thursday evening. The NWS recommends drinking plenty of fluids, staying in air-conditioned rooms, staying out of the sun and checking on relatives and neighbors.
The Monroe County Emergency Management Agency has activated seven area cooling stations which will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Friday. The stations will be cool facilities where people without air can come in and cool down.
Cooling station locations:
- Bloomington Fire Station 1 at 226 S. College Ave.
- Bloomington Fire Station 2 at 209 Fairfield Drive
- Ellettsville Fire Department at 5080 W. State Road 46
- Monroe Fire Protection District at 9094 S. Strain Ridge Road
- Monroe Fire Protection District at 8019 S. Rockport Road
- Monroe Fire Protection District at 5081 N. Old State Road 37
- Monroe Fire Protection District at 2130 S. Kirby Road
