emilie ikeda is tracking it all for us tonight. reporter: tonight, that deadly heat hovering over parts of the south for weeks today is going to be our 21st day of back-to-back triple-digits. reporter: now expanding its grip northward. it s really, really hot. reporter: cities approaching record high temperatures thousands of miles apart. 110 degrees in tucson. 94 in tampa, and 94 in syracuse. have i asthma. so the air quality is really hard on my lungs. and with the heat on top, it s like having a meltdown all in one. reporter: and in connecticut, which activated its extreme hot weather protocol, parents prepared for a scorcher. we get plenty of water and sunscreen, and they go to the pool three times a day. reporter: even officials along america s shorelines urging beachgoers to take precautions. the temperatures have been getting hotter. the beaches have been hotter. so we need to get that message out, that stay hydrated, take care of yourself. reporter: th
he s beyond frustrated writing, i have watched while deputies, firefighters and lifeguards have risked their lives to save strangers. i have seen strangers die trying to save their children and loved ones including two fathers on father s day. officials are urging beachgoers to heed the warnings, especially a double red flag, which means no one is allowed in the water. $500 tickets are issued to anyone breaking the rules. steve fender is a lifeguard at coco beach. we had a hurricane go through last year, which affected a lot of the bottom conditions, changed the topography of the beach. reporter: rip currents are strips of water sometimes very narrow heading back out to sea forming when wind blows towards the beach. they can move faster than 5 miles per hour, impossible to outswim. for us in ocean rescue, that drowning process can take a matter of seconds, just how quickly it escalates is the biggest issue out here. reporter: the best thing to do is not panic. keep your head ab
monday, we got sunday, still don t have a result. you know how long it took them last time. reporter: hancock director hootie adams is pushing incident command for faster results while urging beachgoers to be vigilant. right now i tell them to go to the beach. be wary, if they go in the water, of surroundings. reporter: that s what life guards are doing. less than half an hour after oil washed up on their beach, swimmers were allowed back into the water. now they said we could go back in. so we re okay now. well i don t see anymore out there right now. it s all along the beach. so i guess we re okay. reporter: christina weaver isn t taking any chances. yeah. i don t want to be in the water. it s everywhere. reporter: the weavers were here for fond memories but are leaving with an unexpected keepsake. why are you trying to collect some? well, just to show that i was here when it happened. a little memorabilia. yes.