After a short rainy reprieve, dangerously high temperatures have returned to the forecast in Wake County. The county's temporary cooling stations will open today and remain open through at least Tuesday, Aug. 11, to help residents stay safe. "Extreme heat can cause serious illness to anyone without a place to cool down," said Josh Creighton, deputy director of Wake County Fire Services and Emergency Management. Wake County activates cooling stations during prolonged periods of extreme high temperatures, which is defined as:Three consecutive days with heat index values of more than 100Heat Advisory (Heat Index 105-109) for two consecutive daysExcessive Heat Warning (Head Index >= 110) for any periodCooling station schedule• Wake County Public Libraries, Thursday - Tuesday. Sites that are not normally open to the public, such as EMS stations, fire stations and county fleet maintenance buildings, will not be available as cooling stations.