Mayor Michelle Wu declared a heat emergency taking effect in Boston through the first half of the week as temperatures skyrocket, the city announced Sunday afternoon.
“As we face another round of hot weather in Boston, our city teams are working to ensure all residents, especially children and seniors, have the resources to stay cool,” Wu said in a release. “We’re encouraging families to take advantage of the pools and splash pads that are open, take breaks inside, and to stay hydrated and check on each other.”
Temperatures are expected to reach into the high 90s for the next three days, and the heat index is expected to surpass 100 degrees, city officials said. The city standard for a heat emergency is two or more days of a heat index of 95 degrees or higher.
Residents are encouraged to take steps to mitigate time in the heat, stay safe and check on others, the city said. The city typically sees a 911 calls for emergency medical services rise 10-15% for people of all ages during heat waves, the release noted.
“With extreme heat like we expect, heat related illnesses are more likely to occur,” said Chief of Emergency Preparedness Adrian Jordan. “We encourage residents to look out for each other and take full advantage of our cooling centers in addition to other cooling resources across the City.”
The Office of Emergency Management will be putting up misting tents around the city, including at Boston Housing Authority sites and City Hall Plaza.
Cooling centers will also be open at the lobbies and common areas of 14 Boston Centers for Youth & Families community centers — along with Wang YMCA in Chinatown, Veronica Smith Senior Center in Brighton, and East Boston Senior Center — from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the heat emergency, the city said.
The city encourages residents to make use of access to free pools around the city or stop in a library branch to cool off. Boston has opened up more pools than last year, city officials said, including the BCYF Perkins and BCYF Mildred Avenue last week.
All cooling centers, pools and spray decks are listed on boston.gov/heat under a Cooling Resources Map.
The city issues many recommendations and regulations for the heat emergency. These include not leaving children or pets in unattended vehicles for any length of time; watching for heat exhaustion symptoms like heavy sweating, dizziness and nausea; watching out for homeless residents who may need emergency assistance; and never making outdoor fires.
Residents can access tips and recommendations regarding the heat emergency and city services at boston.gov/heat, on the @CityofBoston Twitter account or by calling into 311.
