Heat warning issued; Norfolk opens cooling centers

NORFOLK, Va. — The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for Friday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and a heat advisory for the same hours on Saturday.

Heat index values are expected to be about 110, according to the NWS.

“When you get to heat exhaustion, you can have heavy sweating, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, fainting…” explained Zachary Martin, a registered nurse at Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton. “One of the ones I experience the most as a nurse in the E.R. is people get dizzy, lightheaded.”

Watch First Warning Forecast: Dangerous heat next 48 hours

Martin encourages people to check on their neighbors who are elderly or have other vulnerabilities.

Because of the excessive heat, Norfolk activated its cooling centers on Friday for the first time this year. These cooling stations are air-conditioned, public facilities where residents can go for relief during periods of extreme heat to prevent or reduce heat-related illness and stress.

For a list of the recreation centers and community centers in Norfolk, click here .

Watch: OSHA proposal aims to protect workers from extreme heat

A city of Norfolk spokesperson said that on Friday, all libraries were closed, but on Saturday, the anchor branches will be open to provide additional cooling stations.

Due to the heat and potential storms, organizers of Saturday night’s RnB Block Party in Norfolk have moved it inside Scope Arena.

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