HENDERSON, NV (FOX5) -
Tuesday marked one of the hottest days of the year so far. Many Las Vegas valley residents spent the day trying beat the heat.
"It's Vegas and it's the hottest state on the planet," said 6-year-old Josh Ritchie.
Forecasters said Tuesday was the hottest day of the year yet. Temperatures reached as high as the 110s in parts of southern Nevada, and an excessive heat warning is in effect.
Several families soaked up the sun at a water park in Henderson. While some people opted to brave the sun, others cranked up the air conditioning in their homes. But for some people, that didn't quite work out.
"The hotter it is outside, the harder it (air conditioning unit) has to work. A lot of them are just struggling trying to keep up with this extreme heat right now," said Darryl Speers of Polar Heat and Air Conditioning.
That business has picked up 25 percent these last two days.
"Don't try to set your thermostat down to 50 degrees," said Speers. "Set it at 78 degrees. No matter how low you put the thermostat, it only blows out one temperature, cold."
Experts say the best way to stay cool is to listen to your body. You may not realize you're too hot before it's too late.
"Drink a lot of liquids, be like a sponge," said Tim Szymanski of Las Vegas Fire and Rescue. "The secret is you want that sponge to be fully saturated, so if something happens you can take from it."
"Even though we complain about it, I don't mind it too much," said Henderson resident Chris Ritchie. "I'd much rather have the heat than the cold. I hate the cold."
Several cooling stations are available throughout the county to help people, especially the homeless with the heat.
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