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Originally published August 15, 2008 at 12:00 AM | Page modified August 15, 2008 at 5:57 PM

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Weather service issues warnings about heat

With one temperature record set Thursday and another one possible today, the National Weather Service has issued warnings for stagnant air...

Seattle Times staff reporter

With one temperature record set Thursday and another one possible today, the National Weather Service has issued warnings for stagnant air and excessive heat in the Puget Sound area.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport hit a high of 90 degrees at 5:40 p.m. Thursday, 2 degrees above the previous high of 88 for Aug. 14, reached in 2005. Today's high is forecast to approach the record of 92, set in 1967.

Highs Saturday could reach the mid-90s — 15 to 20 degrees above normal — but aren't expected to top the Aug. 16, 1967, record of 98. A break is expected late Saturday.

"We'll have winds coming in off the ocean that will help cool us off Saturday night into Sunday," said Jeff Michalski, of the weather service.

A weather-service "heat advisory" in effect until Saturday night advises people to drink plenty of fluids and check on neighbors who are infirm or elderly, and to refrain from strenuous activity outdoors during the heat of the day.

Especially high temperatures are expected in the Cascade foothills, with Saturday highs of 99 forecast for Enumclaw and North Bend and 100 for Gold Bar.

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has issued a smog watch for King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

Although Thursday's ozone levels weren't high enough to be considered unhealthy, the agency was concerned those levels could be hit today.

Ozone comes primarily from automobile tailpipes, and "cooks" in heat and sunlight on hot days to produce smog.

Exposure can impair lung function, cause respiratory irritation, aggravate asthma symptoms and weaken the immune system.

The agency is advising people to car-pool, cut back on unnecessary trips and avoid using gasoline-powered equipment for yard work and recreation.

The Seattle area gets, on average, three 90-plus-degree days a summer, and has already had two: June 28 and 29.

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King County Animal Care and Control officers are reminding pet owners not to leave animals in cars or confined in sunny areas outdoors. Animals should be given extra water, allowed access to shady or cool areas and not exercised in the heat of the day.

Jack Broom: 206-464-2222 or jbroom@seattletimes.com. Times staff reporters Warren Cornwall, Sonia Krishnan and Charles E. Brown contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company

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