Today is recognized as Iowa Heat Awareness Day.

With temperatures soaring into the triple digits this weekend, Greene County Public Health has some safety reminders to keep you from being exposed to the extreme heat of the sun.

Director Becky Wolf says anyone older than six months should wear sunscreen of at least SPF 30. She also suggests wearing a shirt to cover most of your body; wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays, which can develop into cataracts; seek any form of shade and avoid being in direct sunlight between 10am and 4pm when the heat is most intense and wear a wide-brim hat.

“Because your nose, your face, your ears and the back of your neck, those are all areas that can really pick up a sunburn easily. Your baseball cap version doesn’t really do of all of that. So you want a wide-brim hat and probably avoid something that has like a straw hat because of the holes coming through the straw.”

Wolf also suggests taking frequent breaks in the shade and drinking plenty of water to keep your body hydrated, especially this weekend during the Bell Tower Festival.