The excessive heat warning has prompted the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging to activate its heat-line. Operators will be available beginning at 8:30 Wednesday morning to answer questions or concerns. That number is 215-765-9040.
There were no cooling fountains for construction workers on the Ben Franklin Parkway. Instead, there was hot, nasty roadwork.
"That's 350 degrees and you have to shovel it?" one worker was asked. "Yes," he replied. Asked how he was feeling as he went about his work, he answered, "Really hot."
"It's too hot for man or beast," said cement mason Ralph DiMarino.
DiMarino and his crew said in weather like this, the secret is to pace yourself.
"You have to," he said. "We are all not alike, so if you are hot, you take a drink, or take five. You have to."
For those who exercise on a day like this the advice is to get out early and drink plenty of fluids. It is a message Brenda Thomas of Germantown takes to heart.
"One thing to do is hydrate, drink plenty of water," she said. "Another is to get an early start if you can afford it. Our bodies get older, and we can't do the things we used to do. So we just have to keep everything in moderation and be thankful for it."
On Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park, Jill Swavely told Action News she is training for next month's Philadelphia Triathlon.
"It takes a few weeks for your body to acclimate," said Swavely. "But I do this every summer. I've been doing it for years, so I'm just cautious."
Tuesday was hot enough for the folks who operate the un-air-conditioned Walnut Elementary School in Darby, Delaware County to call it a day at noontime. But the heat did not deter the wave of springtime tourists in Philadelphia's historic district.
The uniform was shorts and t-shirts, a far cry from the woolen jacket of worn by a tour guide portraying Trooper Robert Hare, an 18th century cavalryman. The guide politely informed us that in Hare's time, heat was not high on his list of concerns.
"The idea of being hot is not my trouble," said the guide, speaking in character as Hare. "The bullets that whiz by my head, six 3-pound cannonballs, those are what I worry about."
For a little relief at noon, you could head to Love Park for the fountain's refreshing mist. Trees protected the area with cool shade. Folks were mesmerized as they watched the water and felt the welcome breeze the fountain created.
"If the water's on, you get that breeze," said Jirel Fisher of Center City. "You get cool air and a little sprinkle if you sit close enough."
As always, experts say to drink plenty of water and try to stay in the shade as this period of extreme heat continues.
