With the heat and humidity making temperatures feel like they're in the triple digits, the city of Boston has declared a heat emergency through Friday.
The heat wave kicks off Wednesday throughout New England with hot and humid conditions. Temperatures will top 90° Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, making this a three-day heatwave. Our First Alert weather team is predicting that, with the oppressive humidity, heat indices will be jacked up over 100 degrees.
Boston Mayor Kim Janey on Tuesday announced a heat emergency in the city Wednesday through Friday, opening cooling centers and tot sprays.
"I am urging everyone to drink lots of water and find ways to stay cool. Anyone who needs a place to beat the heat can come inside and rest in the air conditioning at one of our cooling centers," she said in a statement.
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Cooling centers will be open at Boston Centers for Youth & Families community centers from Wednesday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. A full list of centers that will be available can be found here. The Frog Pond and tot sprays are open at parks and playgrounds throughout Boston, as well as outdoor and indoor pools.
The state’s spray pads are also open, most of which are located in the Boston area.
The beach in South Boston is another way to cool off.
Experts urge people to stay hydrated, use sunscreen, and limit outdoor activity in this type of potentially dangerous heat.
But not everyone can limit their time outdoors, including children at sports camps and construction workers.
It all comes down to preparation and hydration, according to employees at one Boston construction site.
"You gotta hydrate the night before. Drink water when its hot like this. You've gotta be hydrated. You sweat it out as fast as you drink it on a day like this," Brian Campbell said.
And there's more to hydration than just water.
"We have these special popsicles with electrolytes," Joey Harris said. "We're ready and if you get overheated my guys know to take their hard hats off, get into the shade and take it easy. Cool down."
For teachers like Michael Maguire, who is teaching through a third heatwave this year, it only pushes him even more. He has been fighting for the district to install AC in all Boston Public Schools. Less than a third of them have air conditioning right now.
Maguire says students "want to be here and learn about their new school but as the day wears on the heat just zaps the energy from you."
Day campers get pretty zapped, too, as temperatures swing into the 90s. Those in charge are extending breaks and changing up the activities.
"Instead of doing a lot of running sports, we will move toward arts and crafts and things that would be done in the shade," said Medford recreation director Kevin Bailey.
Pop-up tents help, and so do water-filled games of Duck Duck Goose, but just because kids find relief in the water, it doesn't mean they can't become dehydrated or overheated.
Dr. Lois Lee with the division of emergency medicine at Boston Children's Hospital advises parents to check children to see if their skin is red, if their face is really flushed or if they're profusely sweating.
