Extreme heat is causing concern for the start of the high school football season in Central Illinois. Schools are closely monitoring outside conditions using the Wet Bulb Globe Thermometer to determine if it is safe for sports to be played outdoors. The instrument takes into account various factors such as air pressure, humidity, temperature, and wind speed to provide a reading. According to Mike Williams, Athletic Director at Argenta-Oreana, there are guidelines from the IHSA that schools must follow based on the readings from the thermometer. If the reading reaches a certain level, all outdoor sports activities must be halted. Williams mentioned that they took several readings throughout the day and the conditions were getting hotter as the day went on.
Despite the extreme heat, there is hope that the weather will cool down by Friday evening when many high school football games are scheduled to take place. Schools are hoping that the 7 o’clock kickoff will go on as planned without any issues. The safety and well-being of the student-athletes are the top priority, and school officials are working diligently to ensure that proper precautions are taken to prevent any heat-related illnesses during sports activities.
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