MSU Extension offers tips for staying cool during a heat wave

Exposure to extremely hot temperatures makes our bodies work harder to keep cool, which can lead to health problems for people and animals. It can also stress plants, crops and land.

Laura Anderson, a health and nutrition educator with Michigan State University Extension, shares what to look out for and ways to help reduce these risks in the article, “Avoid heat-related illness while enjoying summer weather.” Especially for those who can’t avoid outdoor activity, it’s extremely important to plan ahead to avoid heatstroke, exhaustion, cramping and other adverse impacts on our health.

Keeping a cool head

MSU Extension has plenty of resources available to help you keep a cool head — whether you’re checking on your garden, curious about watering strategies to keep your plants happy, worried about your lawn during the heatwave or scratching your head at ways to keep your kids entertained while staying cool indoors.

Preventing heat-related illness on the job

While older adults and young children are more vulnerable to extreme heat, danger from extreme temperatures can impact anyone of any age or health status, with potentially deadly implications. This was the case for a young Michigan farm worker in his early 20s, who tragically lost his life to heatstroke during the 2020 field work season.

This heartbreaking example illustrates the importance of understanding the factors that contribute to heat stress, along with the steps you can take to protect yourself and those around you.

In the MSU Extension article, “Heat stress prevention among farmers heading into Michigan’s summer,” co-authors Laurel Harduar Morano, Hailey TenHarmsel and Samantha Wolfe explain the most common factors that can increase the chance of heat-related illnesses in the workplace and on the farm including humidity, clothing and personal protective equipment use, workload and other personal factors that impact our ability to tolerate the heat.

With a focus on farmers, farm workers and other outdoor professions, the article also provides expert guidance and additional resources available in both English and Spanish on the best ways to stay safe, including:

• Staying hydrated
• Taking breaks in a shady or cool area
• Changing any face coverings that become wet
• Dressing appropriately for the heat
• Taking time to acclimate to sudden changes in temperature and humidity

For employers, the co-authors also emphasize the importance of having documented heat stress prevention and response plans, as well taking steps to:

• Acclimate workers when conditions change
• Establish an appropriate work/rest schedule
• Provide a shaded break area along with clean, cool water
• Train supervisors and employees on how to recognize signs and symptoms

You can also hear directly from Laurel Harduar Morano on this topic during a conversation with Michigan Radio’s April Baer for the Stateside podcast episode that aired June 30, 2026.

Protecting animals and pollinators

Humans are not alone in feeling the impact of extreme heat. Pollinators, livestock and other animals are also vulnerable. MSU Extension can help farmers and other caretakers navigate these challenges for:

Pollinators

• Tips for honey bees and beekeepers in hot weather

Livestock

• Extreme heat: Why shade matters for livestock
• Managing heat stress in heifers: Protecting performance from calf to cow
• Animal welfare at the fair: Heat stress

Pigs

• Beating the heat: Protecting pigs from heat stress
• Impacts of high temperatures, heat stress and heat-related diseases in pigs raised indoors

Additional considerations for heat waves

High demand for electricity can put extra strain on the power grid. And while it doesn’t happen often, it’s still important for Michiganders to also be prepared for the potential of power outages during heat waves. Check out the MSU Extension article “Planning and preparing for a power outage” by Michigan 4-H educator Joe Kreider to learn more.

And finally, you may be asking yourself the burning question: “When will this heat end?”

Well, it turns out that MSU Extension can help you answer that, too!

Jeff Andresen, Michigan’s state climatologist and a professor of meteorology/climatology in MSU’s Department of Geography, Environment and Spatial Sciences, also works with MSU Extension to provide regular short-, medium- and long-term weather outlooks.

Although these outlooks are designed for Michigan farmers to help them better anticipate field conditions and plan operations, Andresen’s weather outlooks can also provide Michiganders in general with a trusted source of information to help prepare for the days and weeks to come.

Watch Andresen’s most recent weather outlook updates on MSU Extension’s website by visiting canr.msu.edu/fruit/weather.

More resources from MSU Extension

• Reducing heat stress in the field
• Tips for hydration
• The heat is on: Protect golf course turf during high temperatures