As an extended surge of heat heads to Metro Detroit in time to start summer, officials are urging residents to watch out and offering options to find some relief.

Michigan State Police issued an advisory Friday morning in anticipation of the weekend’s heat wave, urging Michigan residents “to take steps now to stay safe in the extreme heat.”

“Nothing beats a Pure Michigan summer, and as we begin to enjoy it, let’s take action to stay safe when temperatures get too hot like they will over the next few days,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “I encourage everyone to keep a close eye on older relatives and neighbors, children, and pets especially as heat and humidity reach high levels…”

The heat wave is set to start Saturday and persist through Tuesday with highs in the 90s, said Steve Considine, a National Weather Service meteorologist. The heat, combined with the humidity, will make the air temperature feel like 100-105 degrees.

An extreme heat watch will be in effect through those days, Considine said. There isn’t much relief at night either, as nighttime lows are only set to drop into the mid-70s.

Macomb and Oakland counties have designated areas throughout their cities for residents to cool down in.

Andrew Cox, the director of the Macomb County Health Department, said in addition to its 27 cooling sites, the department hopes to educate residents on keeping safe during extreme weather and checking up on others. Residents should call ahead to verify cooling centers’ hours of operation.

“Heat-related illness is very serious, and it actually can occur pretty quickly when you’re in extreme environments or you’re at higher risk,” Cox said. “We definitely get the information out about signs and recognizing what are some of the symptoms around heat stroke and heat exhaustion.”

High-risk individuals include those who are pregnant, older adults, children, unhoused people, outdoor workers and those with chronic diseases, Cox said. Signs of heat-related illness include feeling faint, dizzy or disoriented; excessively sweating; feeling nauseous or vomiting; and having a rapid pulse and muscle cramps. Those who exhibit these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention and call 911.

“We just want to have a location for the community citizens to go to so that they can cool off, because it’s really important to stay cool in hot weather,” said Lindsay Schwan, an Oakland County emergency management specialist. “We recommend that if you don’t have air conditioning, to go to a cool place, even for a little while, because it’ll just help cool you down. … There’s always a library, shopping mall, a movie theater or a 24-hour store that you can just cool off for a while.”

As the hot weather rolls around, Oakland County will have some community centers open at extended hours for residents to stay cool in. As more cooling centers are designated throughout the week, the county is working with the National Weather Service to monitor the situation, Schwan said.

Heat waves like this aren’t uncommon in Michigan, the National Weather Service said, but this one comes earlier compared to recent years.

“Typically, we see these in July and August. But we’ve had heat waves comparable to this in the past,” Considine said. “It’s just this amplified weather pattern that is driving this surge of hot air from the Central Plains right across the Great Lakes.”

The warmth is caused by a combination of strong winds driving the heat into Michigan and a warm front on the northern periphery of a heat dome, a big area of strong high pressure aloft that will establish across the eastern U.S., particularly across the Ohio and Mississippi Valley regions this weekend and persisting into early next week.

“It looks like we’re going to have a front that’s going to slide down on Tuesday,” Considine said. “After that, Metro Detroit is still not quite out of the woods for warm, humid conditions.”

After Tuesday, NWS forecast Metro Detroit seeing highs around 90 on Wednesday, upper 80s on Thursday and mid 80s on Friday. The humidity could remain fairly elevated through the end of the week, Considine said.

To protect against the extreme heat, state police recommend monitoring local weather forecasts; covering windows that receive morning or afternoon sun with blinds, shades, or awnings; identifying nearby air-conditioned locations or cooling centers in your community; and checking regularly on elderly family members, young children, neighbors and pets.

Outdoor workers should schedule strenuous activities for early morning or late evening when temperatures are lower; take frequent breaks in shaded or air-conditioned areas; wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunscreen; and stay hydrated by drinking water consistently throughout the day. Residents should also drink water, avoid alcohol and caffeine, limit vigorous activity and use air conditioning when possible.

“Let’s come together as a community,” Cox said. “Let’s check up on our parents, our seniors or people that might be at risk… Let’s look after the community to try to help each other out.”