Labor Day is quickly approaching, and while some consider the holiday to be the unofficial end to the summer, the weather is suggesting anything but.

Health officials say that it is important to enjoy the holiday weekend safely when it comes to the heat. State data shows a sharp rise in heat-related trips to the emergency room.

The state tracks this data from May through September each year. This includes everything from heat exhaustion to heat stroke. Not only have the numbers increased in 2024 - but there is still a whole month to go.

Dr. Erin Muckey, at University Hospital, says that heat safety comes down to staying hydrated, wearing lightweight clothing and trying to avoid time outside in the middle of the day when the temperatures are highest.

“I probably wouldn’t be here talking to you if it was so obvious that everyone always did it all the time. As we see these spiking temperatures into what we used to think of as fall, I think we just have to remain vigilant and do the same measures that you would have done at your July 4 barbecue,” Muckey says.

The average temperatures in June and July in New Jersey were among the 10 highest ever recorded, according to Rutgers University’s New Jersey Weather and Climate Network.