Iowa City residents better rev up the AC because it’s hot, with Monday’s temperature being so high the National Weather Service issued a heat warning.

“We are getting into the heat of summer, so high temperatures like this are to be expected,” said Alex Gibbs, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service.

Gibbs said the service expects the hot weather to stay well into next week (outside of today) and it’s too early to tell if there will be any sign of cooling down the week after.

Even though it will stay hot, the worst is behind us, at least for this week, Gibbs said. The weather service predicts that for this week, the average high will be 89 degrees Fahrenheit, much cooler than Monday’s high.

With the intense heat bearing down, Doug Beardsley, the director of the Johnson County Public Health Department, said people have to make smart choices.

“Hydration is the real key,” he said. “Avoid alcohol and carbonated and sugary drinks; focus on good old-fashioned water.”

Alcoholic and carbonated beverages dehydrate people even more, which, when coupled with the heat, can be a risky combination, he said.

Beardsley said people need to be aware of how they feel when they are outside and know when to rest or drink more water.

This is especially true for anyone who works outside, he said. Heat precautions are particularly important for the elderly, the very young, and those who may have medical conditions such as heart disease.

Beardsley said he is not too worried about people following these precautions.

“These are mostly common-sense precautions that most people know to follow,” he said.

Knowing these precautions hasn’t made dealing with the heat any easier, though.

“It’s pretty brutal, especially going from temperatures in the low 60s at the end of last week and then jumping up to the 90s with humidity, that’s almost unbearable,” University of Iowa senior Sam Biggart said.

Other students also complained about the humidity.

“It’s been very soupy out; the air has felt extremely thick,” UI junior  Zach Weigel said. “If you have a taste for frozen yogurt, ice cream, or any frozen treat, these are definitely the days to get them.”

“We’ve been selling much more [ice cream] than normal,” said Cold Stone cashier Angela Chay said.

On Monday, when the weather was at its highest temperature, the ice-cream parlor got very busy, especially at night, she said.

“It got so hot Monday night the waffle-cone maker broke because of the heat,” she said. “We still don’t have any waffle cones.”