Reporter's notebook: Weather wary

Warmer weather means more opportunity for fun in the outdoors, but summer fun can take a turn for the worst if you don’t exercise caution.

The New Mexico Department of Health on Friday released a list of guidelines to keep you and anything in your picnic basket safe on an outing.

June is the peak season for emergency room visits caused by heat stress, according to the press release; to avoid one, drink more water than usual (but avoid alcohol or liquids that are high in sugar), wear lightweight clothing outdoors and wear sunscreen.

To prevent your food from becoming spoiled by the sun and making you sick, the press release suggests keeping raw meat and seafood below 40 degrees Fahrenheit in an insulated cooler and avoiding hot or cold foods that have been outside for more than two hours.

With this information, you’re ready to apply a liberal amount of sunscreen and don those swimming trunks.

— By Staff Writer Eamon Scarbrough