TV5 Meteorologist: Today's heat brings real dangers - WNEM TV 5

So as you may know, it's hot out there.  In fact, heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer in the U.S.

In 2011, 206 people died as a result of extreme heat, up significantly from 138 fatalities in 2010.

According to the National Weather Service, this number is well above the 10-year average for heat related fatalities, 119. On average, heat waves kill more people each year in the United States than any other natural disaster, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warns.

Today's temperatures approached the record of 100 degrees, set in 1931. So if you combine these temperatures with the humidity, some areas will see the heat index pushing 110.

Take into consideration the normal high for the Tri-Cities is around 82, and you'll see just how dangerous triple digit temperatures can be.

>>Scroll through the photos above to see what other people's thermometers were reading around Mid-Michigan<<

Ypsilanti's high reached 104 degrees at 3 p.m. Tuesday, while the temperature hit 100 at Adrian, Ann Arbor, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Flint, Grosse Ile and Monroe.

Relief should follow soon, with a front arriving the next day bringing highs down to the 80s in the southern Lower Peninsula.

It's just the latest in a string of scorching summer days in the state after days of 100-degree readings earlier in the month.

Weather service meteorologist Mike Kalembkiewicz in Grand Rapids tells the Morning Sun of Mount Pleasant the area hasn't "experienced the 100s like this since the 1930s."

Bodak posted this on Facebook later Tuesday afternoon talking about dew points:

Allow me to get geeky for a moment. Today I got several messages/calls asking why I show dew points rather than relative humidly on hot and muggy days. Well it's because dew points are a far better measurement of how the air feels. Dew points are the measurement of how much moisture is in the air (the higher the dew point , the higher the moisture content). Dew points in the mid 60s and low 70s t...ell you that the air is going to feel uncomfortable.

Relative humidity is another way to measure moisture in the air, but this value changes relative to the air temperature. This means that the relative humidity goes down as the temps go up. For example, most areas this morning had temps in the mid upper 70s and low 80s with a relative humidity in the 60s and 70s. As those temps increased throughout the day the dew points remained the same but the relative humidity dropped. By the early afternoon, the temp was 99 with a relative humidity at 33%. Temps will go up a bit more today so be sure to check those dew points!

In 2011, the most dangerous place to be was in a permanent home, likely with little or no air conditioning, where a reported 119 deaths (58 percent) occurred.

The next most dangerous identified locations were outside or in an open area, where 31 people (15 percent) succumbed to heat. Texas numbered the most heat victims, 46, followed by Pennsylvania, 36, and Illinois, 33.

While Michigan only recorded three heat-related deaths in 2011, the danger remains present.

Typically, older adults are the group most affected by heat. Extreme heat most strongly affected older adults aged 50-plus, with 170 deaths nationwide (58 percent). And finally, many more males, 133 (64 percent), than females, 73 (35 percent), were killed by heat.

Here are some tips for weathering the summer fun and heat:

• Stay hydrated and wear lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothing to protect your skin from harmful UV radiation. Also, wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
• Apply sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher about 30 minutes before you go outside and reapply every two hours. Check the sun's UV index before you go outside.
• If you're outside during the sun's peak hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., try to stay in shade.
• Remind others, particularly the elderly, to be safe in the sun and heat. Monitor them for signs of heat illness, which can include hot and dry skin, confusion, hallucinations and aggression.
• Check the air quality. High ozone levels on hot summer days can make the air unhealthy to breathe.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers more hot weather tips.

Copyright 2012 WNEM (Meredith Corporation). The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved.