To help residents stay cool, 12 BCYF cooling centers will remain open to all residents.
Today, Mayor Michelle Wu extended the heat emergency in the City of Boston through Monday, July 25, due to the hot weather that is forecasted to last into Monday. Temperatures are expected to stay in the 90s. The heat emergency began last Tuesday, and following the first extension the heat emergency was previously scheduled to end today.
“With the hot temperatures and humidity now projected to last into Monday, we’ve made the decision to again extend the heat emergency to prioritize the safety of our residents,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “As we lengthen the heat emergency for a second time, it is evident that a changing climate is a public health risk for our City. I’m thankful for the many City employees who have helped us get through the first part of this emergency, and urge residents to continue to take care of one another.”
To help residents stay cool, cooling centers will remain open at 12 Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) community centers through Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Additionally, the Veronica Smith Senior Center in Brighton will be open Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A full list of centers can be found at boston.gov/heat. Due to the rising COVID-19 case count, the use of masks in cooling centers is strongly recommended. Additionally, splash pads will be open at parks and playgrounds throughout the City. Select indoor BCYF pools are open. Registration for a time to swim can be found at this link.
Boston Public Library locations are also available for residents to seek relief from the heat, and to find enriching activities and events. The East Boston and Egleston Square branches recently installed misters in their outdoor free WiFi zones.
The City of Boston is taking critical immediate action to provide heat relief, including short-term, actionable steps toward relief during heat waves. The City of Boston has been engaging in a variety of catalytic projects to support extreme heat mitigation and improved health for residents. This includes the distribution of pop-up cooling kits with a hose, misters, and a tent to community organizations that have public events this summer. The cooling kits will be distributed over the coming weeks.
The Boston Public Schools is encouraging students and their families to prepare for hot weather this week by staying well hydrated and dressing appropriately. Families are welcome to send their children to their respective summer programs, which will provide students with water and meals.
Information on heat safety tips can be found online at boston.gov/heat and by following @CityofBoston on Twitter. Residents can sign up for AlertBoston, the City's emergency notification system, to receive emergency alerts by phone, email or text. Sign up online here. Residents are also encouraged to call 311 with any questions about available City services.
The Mayor issued the following heat safety tips for all members of the public:
Mayor Wu recently announced Heat Resilience Solutions for Boston, a citywide framework to prepare Boston for hotter summers and more intense heat events. The Heat Plan presents 26 strategies that will help build a more just, equitable, and resilient Boston. To support the implementation of the Heat Plan, the City will launch the Boston Extreme Temperatures Response Task Force, which will help deliver a unified, all-of-government response to address chronic high temperature conditions and prepare the city in advance of extreme heat events. The Task Force’s work will be supported by the Environment Department, the Office of Emergency Management, and the Boston Public Health Commission’s Office of Public Health Preparedness with the goal of collaboratively protecting and promoting the health and wellbeing of Boston residents facing increasing temperatures and other climate risks.