Editor's Note: Battling the Heat

You might feel like sticking your head in a freezer today. I'm with you on that. I'm huddled next to the air conditioner in my apartment at this very moment. Earlier today, I chatted with some town officials about how to keep cool and safe on this sweaty, muggy day:

1.) The  Cranford Health Department suggests keeping hydrated, wearing light-colored clothing and avoiding strenuous activity. If you need to run errands, so much the better. Even pushing a grocery cart around a supermarket can help you cool down, as those places tend to blast the air conditioner.

2.) The Cranford Public Library and the Community Center, both with stronghearted air conditioners, are also good places in town to hide from the heat.

3.) As I was poking around the Internet, I also found some tips that were a bit counterintuitive – like this one, which I got from the Mother Nature's Network: Eat spicy food. A big plate of hot wings cools you down and doesn't raise your body temperature. It's an age-old technique that has been around in some places for generations. Think of the places that have spicy food, for instance: Mexico. Thailand. India. Some of the hottest places on the planet. 

4.) Another tip from Mother Nature Network: Cool down your pulse points. Run cold water over your wrists, dab your temples with cool water. It decreases your body temperature.

5.) If you're having trouble with electricity snapping off in your house due to the weather, be cautious about using candles, warned fire department captain Wesley Ditzel. If left near a curtain on this scorching hot day, it could potentially be engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds.

6.) If your air conditioner always trips the circuit breakers and leaves you in the dark, don't keep flipping the breaker switches. It signals an underlying problem, Ditzel added. To avoid risking a house fire, give your electrician a call instead of walking down to the fusebox again.