JEFFERSON COUNTY, IL (KFVS) - St. Mary's Hospital in Centralia and Good Samaritan Regional Health Center in Mt. Vernon will serve as cooling centers to area residents due to the extreme temperatures.

Individuals are invited to use the Main Lobby, Snack shops, and Cafeterias at both campuses as cooling sites. This is an ongoing invitation while the extreme heat remains an issue this summer.

Victoria Woodrow, director of marketing and public relations for St. Mary's Good Samaritan, stresses that is it important for people to realize that extreme heat can be dangerous. The hospital wants to ensure that the public has a safe, cool place to go.

According to a National Weather Service report on Monday, temperatures in the Mt. Vernon and Centralia area are expected to reach up to 104 degrees by Friday, with heat indexes perhaps higher.

(KFVS) - The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is reminding people to take steps to protect themselves as the heat builds

As the first major heat wave of the summer engulfs the continental United States, health experts are urging people to take special precautions when dealing with scorching temperatures and oppressive humidity.

One of the most important things to do is to drink plenty of water throughout the day to avoid dehydration, said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Sports drinks that contain electrolytes such as sodium and potassium with small amounts of glucose may help to combat dehydration, Glatter noted, but caffeinated beverages and products with high amounts of sugar can worsen dehydration.

Because children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to dehydration, they should be checked on often and encouraged to drink lots of fluids, he added.