YAKIMA, Wash. -- Farmers working hard to keep orchards cool. Municipal swimming pools flooded with kids and overturned rafts on the Yakima River.

These are all common occurrences during the dog days of summer -- the hottest, most sultry days of the season.

But the heat spell this month is common for this time of year, and it doesn't look as though any temperature records will be broken anytime soon.

The mercury is expected to hit somewhere between 95 and 100 today, short of the 106-degree record for that day and well below the all-time record of 110 set on Aug. 10, 1971, according to the National Weather Service in Pendleton, Ore. The normal high this time of year is 88.

By Wednesday, temperatures are expected to drop slightly into the 90- to 95-degree range, the weather service said.

Even so, doctors are encouraging people who plan to spend a lot of time outside to drink a lot of fluids and authorities are urging rafters to use life vests.

So, what exactly does dog days mean?

While the dates can vary by region, the dog days usually fall between early July and early September.

The Romans associated the hot weather with the star Sirius, regarded as the dog star because it was the largest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). It marked a time when the star rose just before or at the same time as sunrise.

Each year at the beginning of dog days, the Romans would sacrifice a brown dog to appease the rage of Sirius, as they believed that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather.

While there's no need to go find a brown dog, there is plenty of reason to take caution.

Over weekend, Dr. John Zambito at Yakima Regional Medical and Cardiac Center said he treated a half-dozen heat-related illnesses ranging from abdominal cramping and headaches to vomiting.

He is encouraging people who plan to be outside for extended periods of time to drink plenty of fluids.

"You almost have to drink constantly if you're out in that heat," he said.

And authorities have been busy on the Yakima River responding to overturned rafts.

This past weekend, Kittitas County Sheriff's deputies responded to three overturned rafts that struck log jams and an overdue rafter.

There were no injuries, and the overdue rafter was found near Rosa Dam after he had missed a turnout on the river, said Undersheriff Clayton Myers.

"People tend to move toward the water when it's hot," he said. "We encourage people to wear their life jackets and pay attention when floating the river. One of our primary issues that we run into is dehydration -- people don't drink enough water."

Every summer, municipal swimming pools are inundated with kids wanting to cool off, and this year isn't any different, said Yakima Parks and Recreation Manager Kevin Wilkinson.

Although he didn't have any figures on attendance at city pools, he said numbers have drastically increased following the unusually cool month of June.

"But were doing well now, so it's a payoff," he said. "Lots of people buying snacks at the pool."

And the same can be said for beverage sales in the Yakima Valley, particularly wine, said Herb Lynch, president of Lynch Distributing, a beer and wine wholesaler.

He said he knows sales have increased with rising temperatures.

"In hot weather, you tend to sell more white wine than red," he said. "Cooled, chilled wines are popular in hot weather."

Meanwhile, farmers continue to work to keep apples and hops cool during the sweltering temperatures.

That means more water on the ground for hops and overhead sprinklers dousing apples to keep them from burning up, said Granger area farmer Brad Carpenter.

"We're trying to keep the soil profile with enough water for the hops to continue growing through the hot weather," he said. "The hops are in the bloom cycle now, and it's important not to stress them."

As far as fires go, no wind warnings have been issued recently, and firefighters hope it stays that way. Wind and fire are a nasty mix with dry grass and other brush, said Brian Vogel, Yakima County Fire District 5 battalion chief.

"If we can dodge the bullet as far as any lighting floating around, things should be OK until these temperatures start to cool down," he said.

But dry brush and grasses following a wet spring have crews on alert, said Chief Sam Glanzer with Highland Station 1 in Cowiche.

"This spring, everything grew like crazy," he said. "Now everything is dried out and everything is ready to burn."

* Reporter Viviana Buzo contributed to this story.

* Phil Ferolito can be reached at 509-577-7749 or pferolito@yakimaherald.com.