People Battling Oppressive Temperatures During Heat Wave

Oppressive heat didn't keep people from going about their normal routine Wednesday including exercising outdoors in sweltering heat. Fountains around the city made great hang spots for those desperate to keep cool. It's the time of year you'd hate to be without an air conditioner or have one stop working.

"The air conditioners are being used so much that ours is on it's last leg. The one in the kitchen already went," said Barb Badey.

"We have a couple of ceiling fans but it's nothing you know," she said.

She took us inside her cousin's home in South Philly where she and her children are visiting.

"We let the kids sleep down here because up in the rooms it's so hot up there because we don't have air conditioning up there," said Barb pointing to mattresses on the living room floor.

In the kitchen, her cousin Charlotte worked up a sweat cooking in advance.

"I'm making ground meat special, meat balls, tacos and sloppy joes all out of ground meat. I'm trying to get all my cooking done at once so I don't have to deal with this heat tomorrow and the next day," said Charlotte Wehrli.

The kids are keeping cool in the backyard pool. Meanwhile some neighbors and their pets try to catch a breeze sitting outside. But Dr. James Esbenshade with Patient First in Feasterville warns too much time in the heat can be dangerous.

"People get behind on their liquids and get dehydrated which can affect your circulation system and the way you think," he said. Along with staying hydrated and wearing light clothing people without air conditioning should plan ahead.

"Going to visit a good friend who has air conditioning at home, going to the library, going to a store and doing some window shopping I think is a good way to be creative," said Dr. Esbenshade.