Latest news, weather and high school sports for Albany and Southwest Georgia

ALBANY, GA -- Children played in the water at Riverfront Park Thursday afternoon, but with temperatures reaching triple digits, health officials want families to take caution.

“Don't get too much sun exposure and also try to stay cool even when they're inside try to find the coolest place in their house,” says Vamella Lovett, Director of the Adult Health Program in Dougherty County. “Unless you have to be out there in it working in it, just stay out of the sun.”

Health officials say if you work in the heat or are just trying to enjoy the day to make sure you are staying hydrated by drinking non-alcoholic and caffeine-free fluids.

Keeping hydrated will help you avoid any heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

“With heat stroke your skin is usually red hot and dry, and you don't have any sweating where as with heat exhaustion you have heavy sweating,” says Lovett. She says if you notice you have any of these symptoms to take a cool shower and hydrate as soon as possible to cool your body temperature.

Lovett also says to keep an eye on the elderly.

“If you have older individuals in the family that's staying by themselves, make sure you check on them often to make sure that they're okay,” says Lovett.

Fire officials also ask that you take precautions during the hot and dry weather.

“We need to be careful with anything that may generate heat: cigarette butts, charcoal from the grill, car exhaust,” says Asst. Fire Chief Allen Cravey with the Albany Fire Department. “Another thing you see especially this time of year especially when farmers are harvesting or cutting the fields are heat generated from the equipment setting the fields on fire.”

Any outdoor burning is also a concern right now because the conditions are not only hot, but dry as well.

“It's real hazardous fire conditions right now, so much so -- I just checked the Georgia Forestry website -- and they're not issuing any burn permits in Dougherty County at this time,” says Cravey.