It’s not officially summer yet, but the first heat wave of the year will envelop the Northeast beginning Tuesday, bringing high temperatures that could be especially dangerous to people in areas with limited tree canopy and air conditioning.
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for Tuesday followed by an excessive heat watch Wednesday through Friday for much of Massachusetts as well as parts of New Hampshire and Connecticut. Forecasters say heat index values accounting for humidity could rise as high as 102 degrees in some places, with Thursday posing the greatest chance of record-high temperatures.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu declared a heat emergency Monday that will run from Tuesday through Thursday. The city will open 14 cooling spaces at its Youth and Families Centers, and people can seek relief at the Boston Public Library’s various branches. Officials also encourage people to use splash pads at city parks and playgrounds.
“Heat waves are a risk to our community, so everyone should make sure to stay hydrated, limit outdoor activity when possible, wear plenty of sunscreen and check on your neighbors and loved ones,” Wu said in a press release. “The City is here to support residents through a variety of resources, and I urge anyone with questions to call 311 for assistance in staying safe in the heat.”
The high temperatures will be the result of a heat dome that’s been moving across the country, trapping warm air. Forecasters say it’ll feel even hotter due to the high humidity levels, and evening temperatures are expected to remain elevated — around 70 degrees at night — until Friday, when the heat wave begins to dissipate.
Environmental justice and health advocates say the heat won’t be felt evenly around Greater Boston. In fact, they’re especially concerned about the wave’s potential impact on urban heat islands where there’s a lot of concrete that absorbs sunlight but few trees that provide shade.
Heat islands tend to be concentrated around underprivileged neighborhoods in Chelsea, East Boston, Roxbury and Dorchester where many people also don’t have reliable air conditioning, said David Sittenfeld, director of the Center for the Environment at Boston’s Museum of Science.
“[Those places] tend to be about 10 to 15 degrees hotter than other areas,” he said.
In Chelsea, the environmental nonprofit GreenRoots is rushing to help at-risk populations prepare for the heat wave. The nonprofit is sending out mass text messages to residents in different languages detailing places they can go to stay cool.
GreenRoots’ executive director Roseann Bongiovanni said people aren’t used to experiencing a heat wave this early in June, so they’re not prepared for it. For example, many residents who do have window air conditioning units may not have installed them yet.
Bongiovanni said she fears an increase in heat stroke and other cardiovascular respiratory incidents.
“Folks are living in big buildings and old housing stock. And so it’s hotter, draftier, meaning the heat is actually getting in,” Bongiovanni said. “That worries us as we have elderly folks, more vulnerable populations with cardiovascular and respiratory disease.”
