Valley residents say you must be strategic about outdoor activities during the excessive heat wave

While we are in an excessive heat warning in the Coachella Valley, Residents say you must be strategic when planning your outdoor activities.

"What's the humidity because it's all about the humidity?" says Mara Melera while she was outdoors shopping in Palm Desert.

News Channel 3's First Alert Weather team says this stretch of hot weather is in the coachella valley until Monday

"If it's not humid, it's fine," says Melera. "Once it gets humid. We're out.

Timothy Moore, a La Quinta resident, shares the same feelings toward humidity as Melera 

"Being acclimated to this type of weather, It's not out of the norm," says Moore. "I think only time I've ever been feeling uncomfortable about the heat is humidity. And I prefer dry heat."

Moore prepares by hydrating before going to the splash pad, not only him but his daughter and his dog.

Humidity is expected to hit the valley in the coming days, says our first alert weather team.

Mara says when it is unbearable, she leaves. By the end of the week, Melera will be in Europe for a month.

Melera and her friend Irene Smith say traffic indoors and on the streets decreases during these hot summer months.

"A lot of people leave, and the traffic's better, so restaurants are better," says Indian Wells resident Irene Smith. "Ice cream is good, too. That cools you off."

Melera goes golfing earlier in the day before it gets too hot, she says.

Smith hits the race track when it's hot. "I've been going out to the BMW Performance Center, in thermal, they have a racetrack out there open to the public and playing on the track because there's air conditioning in the cars," says Smith.

Smith says while you are out, monitor your body for heat related illnesses.

Smith remembers how she felt on one hot summer day. "Heat exhaustion!" says Smith. "It scared me it really did scare me. It made me more cognitive when I'm out in the heat."