With today being the hottest day of the year so far for many of us, the hot weather is also perfect for the return of harmful algae blooms.

As tempting as it may be to jump into your local lake or river to cool off, you’re urged to avoid water that looks discolored or has a foul odor.

The hot weather is perfect for the development of what’s called cynobacteria.

People and animals who ingest affected water can get sick and even die in extreme cases.

There’s also no known antidote for the toxins blue-green algae can produce.

A state health department representative says even having the bacteria come in contact with your skin can pose problems, and that’s not all.

“You can also inhale it if the water gets vaporized, and mists and you get the fine mist and you can inhale it and develop a pneumonia from it as well,” said Kirby Kruger with the North Dakota Department of Health.

If the blooms get bad enough, the health department will issue blue-green algae advisories for that body of water

Blooms typically have the greatest impact on bodies of stagnate water, rather than a flowing river, such as the Missouri or Mouse.