Community Corner

Beat the Heat: Forecast, Tips and Places to Go

With steamy, stagnant heat here to stay all week, here are some ideas on how and where to stay cool.

With steamy, muggy heat stagnating over the city all week, residents are warned to stay hydrated and cool and watch out for the most vulnerable — children, elderly and pets.

Brookfield Patch has your forecast below, as well as a list of ideas for places to go to stay cool and tips for avoiding heat exhaustion. Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas announced today that all six Waukesha County beaches will have extended hours, opening at 10 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Forecast

Today it's slated to be very hot and humid with highs in the lower 90s and heat indices from 100 to as high as 110. Evening and overnight lows will dip only into the 70s and will remain muggy.

Find out what's happening in Brookfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A heat advisory remains in effect until 10 p.m. tonight, according to the National Weather Service.

Skies will be partly sunny with a possible scattered light showers and thunderstorms this morning and afternoon. Watch for possible damaging winds and large hail late morning. Rain may provide some relief but not long-lasting.

Find out what's happening in Brookfieldwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

High temperatures may reach 87 on Tuesday, 94 on Wednesday, 93 on Thursday, 88 on Friday, 86 on Saturday and 85 on Sunday. In other words, little relief is in sight. Every day has at least a chance of some isolated showers and thunderstorms except Wednesday that looks to be just hot and humid, perhaps the hottest day of the week.

Tips to stay safe

Brookfield Fire Chief Charlie Myers recommended citizens stay hydrated with water and fluids with electrolytes, such as Gatorade. Avoid alcohol or caffeine and stay away from hot, heavy meals.

To cool down a person who has heat exhaustion, place ice packs underneath their armpits and place cool water on the back of their necks. A cool shower or bath also helps.

As much as possible, citizens are urged to stay out of direct sunlight, especially during the hottest parts of the day. Keep your house cool by drawing the shades and curtains, use air fans and go to basements if there is no air conditioning.

Wear light, loose clothes, apply sunscreen and wear a hat and sunglasses. Take it easy outside. Plan any strenuous activity for early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures are cooler.

Myers said it's always a good idea to check on elderly relatives and neighbors to make sure they are not in distress.

Milwaukee city health officials stressed that the elderly are particularly vulnerable because they might not turn on their air conditioning in order to save money, their bodies may not feel hot even though they are, and their medications may be problematic with heat.

In 1995, two heat waves caused 154 heat-related deaths and over 300 heat-related illnesses, according to Wisconsin Emergency Management and National Weather Service. 

More tips and resources for keeping safe are found in . 

Places to stay cool 

So if you don't live or work in air conditioning, where can you go to beat the heat? Here are some ideas for the week:

Brookfield Public Library and other libraries: There is plenty to do in the , such as reading a book, doing computer research or bringing work to do on a table or conference room. Here are the library activities planned this week for adults and children, including a knitting time from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday.

The library, 1900 N. Calhoun Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Or take the kids on a round-robin of area public libraries, exploring ones in New Berlin, Menomonee Falls, Waukesha, Elm Grove and Wauwatosa.

Eble Ice Arena: What could be cooler than ice skating? Admission to at 19400 W. Blue Mound Road is $6 for adults and $4.50 for those under age 18 and over age 60. Skates can be rented for $2.50. Public skating hours are limited — from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturday and Sunday the hours are 2:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

Senior Center: Concerned about an elderly relative or neighbor who has no air conditioning? They are welcome to enjoy activities and meals at the city's Senior Center, which is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Here is a schedule of daily events, from sheepshead and bridge to quilting and movies. 

City residents 55 and older are free but must register annually at the . Non-residents must pay an annual fee of $12. 

Wirth Park: Cool off in the but don't plan on doing excessive laps or dives and be careful not to bake in the sun pool-side. 

The zero depth 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and the full aquatic center is open from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Daily admission for City of Brookfield residents is $3.75 for adults, $2.75 for children ages 3 to 17 and seniors and free for children ages 2 and younger. Admission rates for non-residents are slightly higher. Admission to just the morning zero-depth pool is less expensive.

Fox Brook Park: Any body of water is sure to be cooler than the air temperature. The beach and 6-acre quarry lake at the county park , 2925 W. Barker Road, offers lots of family-friendly amenities such as a beach house, diving dock, concession stand and pedal boat rentals. 

Beach hours will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends, with lifeguards on duty daily. County Park entrance fees are $3 on weekdays and $5 on weekends. 

Or explore these . 

Majestic Cinema: The , 770 N. Springdale Road, offers matinees and $2 family-friendly films at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays starting June 21. Also on Tuesdays, popcorn and fountain drinks are $2. Hoodwinked Too, Rio and Judy Moody are on the schedule for July as part of the Kids Rule promotion.

Here are the movies being shown and times

Brookfield Square mall and other shopping centers: An easy way to spend time in air-conditioning is to hit the mall or numerous other shopping centers listed by the Brookfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Bowling: Hit the lanes at , 12935 W. Blue Mound Road. Hours vary, so call first at 262-786-6280. But there is open bowling every weekday evening, as well as other times during the day. Click here for a printable coupon for $1 off a session. 

Big Backyard, Monkey Joe's and other children's places: There are a plethora of kid-friendly businesses that have air conditioning and icy treats. The Big Backyard in New Berlin offers outdoor playground equipment inside a large building. Monkey Joe's has massive inflatables, and Adventure Rock has indoor rock climbing.

Restaurants and coffee shops: Take an extra long lunch or coffee (but avoid too much caffeine which is not hydrating) at area dining establishments. Again, Brookfield has a ton of places, including these list of coffee shops and restaurants.

Ice cream treats: Go get an ice cream cone at , or . 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here