Heat advisory for Somerville Aug. 1-2  

On August 1, 2024, in Latest News, by The Somerville Times

The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for Somerville and the region Thursday afternoon and Friday (August 1 and 2), with “feels-like” temperatures up to 96 degrees expected. Feels-like temperatures may still reach 90 degrees over the weekend and community members are encouraged to take precautions to stay cool, healthy, and safe throughout the coming days.

If you don’t have air conditioning, you can seek relief from the heat in air-conditioned City buildings.  Anyone is welcome to visit Somerville Public Library branches during their regular hours, some of which are also open Saturday and/or Sunday. For locations and hours visit somervillepubliclibrary.org. Seniors are also able to visit Council on Aging Senior Centers, which offer a wide range of activities on weekdays. For locations, hours, and activity information visit somervillema.gov/coa or call 617-625-6600, ext. 2300. Pools and water features in parks are also open.

Heat safety tips and ways to keep cool in and around Somerville including free pools and water features are included below. Safety tips are also available in multiple languages on the City’s Keeping Cool in Hot Weather webpage at somervillema.gov/keepcool. 

Importantly:  

Never leave children or pets alone in a car or vehicle, even for a quick errand and even if the windows are open.  
Drink plenty of water. Avoid alcoholic beverages and drinks with caffeine or large amounts of sugar.  
Practice sun safety by wearing sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses when outside.  
Limit outdoor activity to the morning and evening hours. Avoid strenuous activity during mid-day when temperatures are highest.
Follow City social media pages and contact 311 for the latest information on places you can visit to cool off.

Take Care of Yourself and Others:  

Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.   
Be cautious when working outdoors and take frequent breaks. Take breaks in the shade if you can. 
If you are walking, running, cycling, wheeling, or doing other outdoor exercise during hot weather, have water with you, seek a shady area or route, and pace yourself. Be sure to take a break if you start to feel overheated.
Check on relatives, friends, and neighbors who don’t have air conditioning, who spend much of their time alone, or who are more likely to be affected by the heat. These groups may include older adults, infants and children, people with chronic medical conditions, and people who are pregnant.  
If you see individuals out in the heat who appear immobile or disoriented, please call 911 so they can receive the necessary help.

Learn to Recognize Signs and Symptoms of Heat Illnesses:  

Heat cramps  
- Look for: heavy sweating during intense exercise, muscle pain, or spasms  
- If you have heat cramps: stop physical activity, move to a cool place, and drink water or a sports drink. Wait for cramps to go away before you do any more physical activity and get medical help if cramps last longer than one hour, you’re on a low-sodium diet, or you have heart problems.  
Heat exhaustion  
- Look for: heavy sweating; cold, pale, and clammy skin; a fast, weak pulse; nausea or vomiting; muscle cramps; tiredness or weakness; dizziness; headache; fainting  
- If you expect heat exhaustion, move to a cool place, loosen your clothes, put wet towels on your body or take a cool bath, and sip water. Get medical help if you are vomiting, your symptoms get worse, or your symptoms last longer than one hour.  
Heat stroke  
- If someone is showing signs of heat stroke call 911 immediately. Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Signs of heat stroke include a body temperature over 103°F; hot, red, dry, or damp skin; a fast and strong pulse; nausea; headache, dizziness or confusion; and possible unconsciousness. While waiting for help to arrive, move the person to a cool area and help cool them down with wet towels or a cool bath. DON’T give them anything to drink.

Tips For Pet Parents:  

Don’t leave pets outside for long periods of time.  
Provide plenty of fresh water and, if outside, leave the water in a shady area.  
Don’t let dogs linger on hot asphalt during high temperatures.  
Know the symptoms of overheating in pets, which include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor, or collapse.   
Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. These pets, along with pets that are older, overweight, or have heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.  
Don’t leave pets unsupervised around a pool or other body of water.  
Again, never leave your pet in your car or vehicle, even if the windows are open.

Pools and Water Spray Features:  

Many Somerville city parks have water features that run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The water sprays are on timers and stop for 20 minutes between cycles.
You can also visit Dilboy Pool (110 Alewife Brook Pkwy.) open regular hours of Monday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. or Latta Brothers Pool at Foss Park (235 Broadway) open 11:15 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Both pools have free admission.
Water feature information is available in multiple languages under the “Stay Cool Outside” section of the City’s Keeping Cool in Hot Weather webpage at somervillema.gov/keepcool.
With access to the Green Line and other public transportation, you can also visit nearby communities that offer water features or pools:   
- Visit the Parks and Fields page on arlingtonma.gov for a list of parks
- Visit boston.gov/heat for places to stay cool, pools, and splash pads
- Visit cambridgema.gov/CDD/parks for a Waterplay Map
- Visit the Recreation Page on medfordma.org for parks and playgrounds
- Visit mass.gov/topics/swimming for a list of state-managed Swimming Pools, Wading Pools and Spray Decks

Swim Safe:

During hot weather, more people cool off in and around bodies of water. Learn how to keep yourself and others safe in and around water by reviewing Water Safety tips provided by the Commonwealth at mass.gov/water-safety.

Sign up for City Alerts:  

Community members are encouraged to sign up for City Alerts to receive timely information about emergencies and other important community news. You can sign up to receive alerts in one of six languages via phone, text, email, or all three. You can update your alert preferences at any time. Visit somervillema.gov/alerts.  