High school administrators across southern Maine are modifying or canceling athletic activities because of oppressive heat forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.

And if they haven’t thought about the heat yet, they’ll get a reminder from the Maine Principals’ Association in their email.

“I was just typing up that memo when you called,” said Mike Burnham, assistant executive director of the MPA.

“Every year, early in the season, we’re going to have a week or two where we deal with high temperatures and high humidity,” Burnham said. “We have sent out notifications in the past, just to be cautious. … I am going to say that schools are very good at paying attention.”

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for most of southern Maine from noon Tuesday until 8 p.m. Wednesday. It predicts the heat index – combining temperature and humidity – will reach the upper 90s to low 100s both days.

In its advisory, the weather service said those who work or exercise outside should take extra precautions, and drink plenty of fluids.

In such situations, any athlete who over-exerts and is not properly hydrated can suffer heat illness. Football players’ helmets and pads make them more susceptible.

“Unfortunately, across the country every year there are heat-related illnesses and death, and even here in northern New England we need to pay attention to that and there is an awareness,” Burnham said.

The most recent example of a heat-related death occurred on June 13 when University of Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair died two weeks after suffering heat stroke at a football practice. Including professional, college, high school and youth leagues, an average of three football players a year have died of heat stroke since 1995, according to the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research.

Each Maine high school coach is required by the MPA to complete an instructional video prepared by the National Federation of State High School Associations called “A Guide to Heat Illness.” Coaches also must view similar videos about concussions in sport and sudden cardiac arrest.

Deering High Athletic Director Mel Craig said the school already postponed a Tuesday golf match against Cheverus because of the heat and put restrictions on practices.

“If it’s an early-morning practice you’re off the field by 9 (a.m.),” she said. “For afternoon practice, it will be helmets with no pads for football, with mandatory water breaks every 10 minutes.

“The kids’ safety comes first. We’re all making the modifications.”

Deering athletic trainer Greg Tosi said once the heat index reaches 104 degrees “we stop all outside activities. And if the inside activities don’t have air conditioning, we stop them, too.”

Even before that, precautions will be taken if the heat index nears 100. For example, football players will be asked to take off their helmets.

“We’re always providing water and we put Gatorade out for the electrolytes,” Tosi said. “We’re going to keep pushing water and not just during sports, but between as well. They’ve got to keep refueling, make sure their weight doesn’t go down the next few days.”

Gary Stevens of Thornton Academy and other athletic directors pointed out that heat can be more of a concern for athletes who play or practice on artificial turf fields, where the surface temperatures can rise by 10 degrees.

St. Dominic in Auburn canceled athletic activities for Tuesday. The private school started classes last week. It will close school around noon Tuesday because of the heat inside its primary academic wing.

“Even at 5 o’clock it’s supposed to be 99 degrees,” said Athletic Director J.P. Yorkey. “We were supposed to have a boys’ soccer scrimmage with Lisbon. We’re not going to go scrimmage when it’s 99 degrees out.”

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