Today, at 7:09 p.m., is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere - the day when the sun is closest to us and provides the most hours of sunlight of the year.
It also typically brings a spike of high temperatures and puts people more at risk of heat exhaustion, according to experts.
Meteorologists say that highs today and Thursday will be around 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and temperatures could get hotter over the next few weeks due to the angle of the sun.
"Typically, June is a hot month, but July is warmer," said John LaCorte, a meteorologists with the National Weather Service in State College.
"We usually see temperatures rise a few weeks after the equinox (because) it takes a while for that extra sunlight to really warm up the atmosphere," he added.
LaCorte explained that the rise in temperature depends on the angle of sunlight as well as how much of the globe is receiving the sun's perpendicular rays.
According to Kelly Douglass, clinical supervisor for the emergency department at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, high temperatures put the elderly and small children at risk for heat exhaustion. Both groups are considered high-risk because electrolytes are more sensitive for both groups and they don't hold as much reserve water and have less blood volume, she explained.
"Their sodium can get messed up because of that lack of reserve water," Douglass said.
Heat exhaustion is caused by extreme sweating leading to dangerous dehydration.
Some of the signs of heat exhaustion include confusion, rapid heart beat, extreme fatigue, pounding headache and dizziness.
If people suspect they may have heat exhaustion, the best thing to do is to get out of the sun, try to cool down and get fluids, Douglass said.
"No alcohol or caffeine fluids, though," she said. "The alcohol will dehydrate you more and the caffeine causes increased heartbeat, which only adds to your problems."
Douglass explained that some medications also can cause the user to have negative reactions to the sun, such as increased skin sensitivity and increased risk of dehydration.
She recommends that people check the labels on their medications, read the warnings and ask their doctor if they have any questions.
"When it's hot out, the most important thing you can do is drink lots of water - more than usual," she said.
