Boston will be under a heat emergency for much of the week. Here's when.
The predicted highs for Boston this week are 93 degrees on Monday, 92 degrees on Tuesday, 95 degrees on Wednesday and 90 degrees on Thursday, but some areas of the city may get hotter, according to the National Weather Service.
From Monday to Wednesday, all Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) Cooling Centers will be open during their normal operating hours for people to come in and cool off, Mayor Wu's office said in a Sunday press release. Additional BCYF centers will also be used as cooling centers during this time, and all Boston Public Library locations will be open and available as places to cool off.
Read more: Mass weather: Highs to climb into the 90s across the state this week
Bostonians can also use the splash pads at various parks and playgrounds across the city to keep cool during the heat, and several city pools will be open for swimming, the mayor's office said. You can find a list of open splash pads and pools and information such as their operating hours at Boston.gov/pools. To create a free membership and sign up for a swim session, visit Boston.gov/BCYF-registration.
For tips on how to stay cool and safe in Boston during hot weather, visit boston.gov/heat. To sign up to receive emergency alerts from the city, visit the city's website.
More weather
Mass. weather: Heat, humidity return on Monday amid warming trend
Mass weather: Highs to climb into the 90s across the state this week
Over 40 beaches closed across Massachusetts on Saturday, Aug. 9
Mass. beach closures: Almost 40 beaches are closed on Thursday, Aug. 7
Mass. weather: Rain possible for Western Mass. Thursday, temps in the 90s Sunday
Read the original article on MassLive.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
A glacier outburst sent a surge of water downstream into Juneau. Flood barriers protected the city from disaster
For the third consecutive year, a wave of water gushed out of an Alaskan glacial lake, threatening the state's capital city of Juneau. But, flood barriers installed by the city managed to prevent disaster from unfolding in the picturesque port town despite record-breaking water levels this week. The outburst began Tuesday at Suicide Basin, a glacial lake attached to the Mendenhall Glacier that runs up against the western portion of Juneau, about 10 miles from the city's center. The basin formed as parts of its glacier melted and retreated and now acts like a giant bucket, filling up with rain, snow and ice that slowly melts over the summer. Eventually, Suicide Basin gets so full that it escapes the surrounding ice of the Mendenhall Glacier. When that happens, water gushes out into the nearby Mendenhall Lake and eventually surges down the river. The Mendenhall River, which flows along the west side of the city, eclipsed its previous record high level of 15.99 feet Wednesday morning after rising more than 7 feet in under 24 hours. It crested at a new record of 16.65 feet Wednesday morning, according to the weather service, well above the previous record crest set just last August. River levels started dropping quickly not long after and by mid-afternoon the river had decreased to 10 feet. Lingering minor flooding will continue into Wednesday evening, but the river is expected to return to normal Thursday. How flood barriers protected the city While the Mendenhall River reached a new record high during this year's event, the worst-case scenario was avoided largely due to flood prevention efforts made by state and local officials in response to past flooding. A similar glacier outburst last year unleashed destructive flooding that impacted more than 100 homes in Juneau. City officials characterized the flood severity as 'unprecedented.' The river level in 2024 topped the one reached during 2023's early August glacial flood by a full foot. Last year, a flood barrier was installed in flood-prone areas where roughly 1,000 residents and businesses reside, according to a city spokesperson. Some of the resources that helped keep floodwaters at bay were provided by the Army Corps of Engineers earlier this year, an official said, including about 37,800 feet of HESCO barrier, which are sturdy modular bags filled with sand used to assist in blocking floodwaters – these bags are beneficial during natural disasters like flash flooding and hurricanes, according to HESCO's website. Over 100,000 sandbags were also used to mitigate flooding, according to Brig. Gen. Joseph Goetz, commander and division engineer for the US Army Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division. HESCO is a company that manufactures barrier systems. Local authorities have been working with the US Army Corps of Engineers to monitor the barriers. 'The HESCO barriers really have protected our community. If it weren't for them, we would have hundreds and hundreds of flooded homes,' Juneau City Manager Katie Koester said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Water was seeping through some of the barriers, but they had not been breached, according to a Wednesday morning update from the city. 'That being said, there still will be impacts, there still will be flooded homes and we will be working… to assess that damage and help our residents,' Koester added. There were no rescues or incidents involving the water as Wednesday afternoon, according to Sam Russell, assistant fire chief for Capital City Fire/Rescue, which serves the city and borough of Juneau. Russell urged the public to stay away from any flooded areas until crews could assess the situation. On Sunday, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a preemptive disaster declaration to better streamline emergency response efforts to the outburst. 'By issuing this declaration before the flood occurs, we can position state resources and personnel in advance to support local and tribal governments in their efforts to protect lives, homes, and essential services,' Dunleavy said in a statement. 'Our goal is to act early to reduce impacts and preserve community safety.' The capital of Alaska, Juneau has a population of about 33,000, according to the the US Census Bureau. The city is surrounded by coastal waters to the west and south. Why does this keep happening? The glacial lake outbursts have become a regular occurrence since 2011 and have worsened considerably each year since 2023. They are yet another consequence of climate change due to fossil fuel pollution. The Arctic, including Alaska, is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet as global temperatures rise. This is causing glaciers, like these in Alaska, to thin or melt altogether. Rising temperatures have severely reduced the expanse of the Mendenhall Glacier and its Suicide Basin, creating the annual glacial lake outburst hazard as ice gets replaced by liquid water and rises closer and closer to that 'bathtub' edge throughout the summer. Studies in recent years have shown that between 10 and 15 million people globally are exposed to impacts of glacial lake outburst flooding like what's unfolding in Juneau. Glaciers are melting and losing mass globally at an increasingly rapid rate as the world warms, producing more and larger glacial lakes, a 2024 study found. The uptick in number and size of glacial lakes is expected to increase the frequency of outburst flooding events in the future. CNN's Eric Zerkel, Chris Boyette, Zenebou Sylla and CNN Meteorologist Briana Waxman contributed to this report.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hot weather warning extended by FIVE days as heatwave continues
A weather warning has been extended by a further five days as the country remains in a scorching heatwave. On Wednesday evening the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) extended the yellow health alert to remain in place until 6pm on August 18. Initially, an amber alert was in place until 6pm on Wednesday. The hot weather has peaked, with highs of 30C recorded in King's Lynn on August 13. Forecasters have said that the consecutive days of high temperatures have seen the UK hit its fourth heatwave of the summer. The weather will cool slightly during the remainder of the yellow heat alert, with the BBC forecasting highs of 28C on Thursday in Downham Market, King's Lynn and Thetford, before dropping to 27C on Friday. READ MORE: Hot weather warning upgraded as Norfolk braces for scorching temperatures The weekend will be cooler, with Downham Market expected to be the hottest area in the county. Saturday will reach highs of 23C, 24C on Sunday and 24C on Monday. The warning has been in place since 6pm on August 13.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Norway, Sweden and Finland: Climate change made July heatwave 10 times more likely, study says
Human-caused climate change made a two-week-long heatwave in Norway, Sweden and Finland around 2°C hotter and at least 10 times more likely, a rapid analysis by World Weather Attribution has found. Extreme heat gripped the cold Nordic countries from mid-July, with temperatures above 30°C. Finland experienced 22 consecutive days where temperatures were above 30°C, its longest heatwave on record. In the Norwegian part of the Arctic Circle, a weather station recorded temperatures above 30°C on 13 days during the month of July. The study from World Weather Attribution highlights how heatwaves intensified by climate change are disrupting healthcare and warns that similar events will become five times more frequent by 2100 unless there is a rapid shift away from fossil fuels. 'Even comparably cold Scandinavian countries are facing dangerous heatwaves today with 1.3°C of warming,' says study author Friederike Otto, Professor in Climate Science at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London. Related Climate change-driven heat extremes are driving 'staggering' decline in tropical birds, study warns 'Climate change hasn't stopped,' warns EU climate monitor as global heat record streak ends 'This event should be taken as another reminder that no country is safe from climate change.' Ten times more likely and 2°C hotter The study from World Weather Attribution reveals that climate change made the mid-July heatwave in Norway, Sweden and Finland at least 10 times more likely than it would have been in a world without 1.3°C of global warming. Researchers also found that human-caused climate change made the event in Norway, Sweden and Finland around 2°C hotter. In a 1.3°C cooler world, they say, a similar two-week period of persistent high temperatures would be extremely rare. But today, with current global warming, they are now expected about every 50 years. At 2.6°C of warming, which is expected this century, similar events will be five times as likely and a further 1.4°C hotter than today. The study found that the likelihood of a prolonged period of heat like this has almost doubled since 2018, when the region last experienced such an intense heatwave. Dr Clair Barnes, study author and researcher at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, says the 'relentless' Nordic heatwave is 'highly concerning'. 'Climate change is fundamentally reshaping the world we live in. Cold-climate countries like Norway, Sweden and Finland are now experiencing unfamiliar levels of heat, as recently seen in strained health systems and sightings of reindeer seeking shade in urban areas,' she adds. The stark threat of climate change in cold countries The period of persistent heat across the three countries brought overcrowded and overheated hospitals, wildfires, toxic algal blooms and a surge in drownings. While many enjoyed the summer warmth, the prolonged high temperatures meant demanding working conditions, sleepless nights and health risks. Researchers warn that this 'silent killer' may have caused hundreds of heat-related deaths. When Sweden was hit by the 2018 heatwave, about 750 excess deaths were estimated over a five-week period from early July. Related Extreme heat is a growing public health emergency, experts warn 'This heatwave was a stark reminder of the threat of climate change in cold-climate countries that aren't normally considered vulnerable,' says study author Maja Vahlberg, technical advisor at the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, and climate consultant at the Swedish Red Cross. 'Our infrastructure was not built to withstand these extreme temperatures and our ageing population is increasingly susceptible to dangerous heat. 'We've seen some progress in adaptation and preparedness, particularly since 2018, when we experienced our last big heatwave. But we still need to do more to ensure our cold-adapted infrastructure and systems are also ready for high temperatures.' It also pushed reindeer, which usually roam the forests, into towns as they sought shade from the high temperatures. Herders warned that their animals were on the verge of dying in the heat. Alongside threatening ecosystems, climate change is threatening the livelihoods of Indigenous Sámi communities, who have herded reindeer in the region for more than 1,000 years.
