Hot? It could be worse if you worked in it

Nothing says summer in Atlanta like stepping out of the shower and immediately breaking a sweat.

It’s hot. We expect it. It’s part of living in the South, right?

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BOB ANDRES / bandres@ajc.com

Jarred Taylor, 17, Acworth, takes a water break this morning after running and walking the track during voluntary workouts with the football team at North Cobb High School.

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Still, it feels like Mother Nature is filled with more hot air than usual. A recent nine-day streak of 90-plus temperatures is above average for this time of year, meteorologists say. Add in a little moisture and the heat index makes it downright sweltering, such as Friday’s forecast of 95 degrees that will feel more like 98.

But before you complain about melting walking from the car to the office, think about those who battle the heat head on. Construction workers. Airport baggage handlers. Mail carriers.

People like Aaron Morrison and his coworkers with Dr. Roof Atlanta Inc.

Morrison, a project manager, spends his days baking on an asphalt roof he described as “like a sauna.”

“It’s probably about 30 degrees hotter on the roof than ambient temperature,” he said.

To keep himself and the crews safe, they up their water intake by 400 percent in the summer and take off two hours mid-day to prevent heat exhaustion, returning to work until sunset if need be.

Did we mention they wear long sleeved shirts to blunt the sun’s rays?

“You find what works and you stick with it,” he said. “Roofers passing out is not a good thing.”

The same can be said for welders, like the folks at A&R Welding in Atlanta who work year-round with the doors open for ventilation.

“If you shut the doors, you’re sucking in the fumes and gas,” said Kwana Swain. “Now, I’m sure it’s 10 degrees hotter in here than whatever it says on Weather.com.”

Meterologist Laura Griffith gave us a morsel of hope for sweet relief next week.

The hot streak may break Monday when temperatures may drop to a merciful 89 degrees, she said.

Generous, really.

Griffith says there’s a chance Atlanta will drop to lower-than-average temperatures in coming weeks, but that’s only a possibility.

Her most feared hot-weather job?

“Anything outdoors that isn’t near shade.”