Today, Mayor Michelle Wu declared a heat emergency in the City of Boston beginning Tuesday, July 19, through Thursday, July 21, due to the weather that is forecasted for this time period. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid to high 90s.

“We’re working quickly to make sure all of our Boston residents and families are protected during this week’s extreme weather,” said Mayor Michelle Wu . “It is clear that a changing climate is a risk to our health and communities. I urge everyone to stay cool and safe, and check on your neighbors during the week. I’m thankful for the many City employees who are preparing for this emergency and will be responding to calls for service throughout our neighborhoods.”

To help residents stay cool, cooling centers will be open at 12 Boston Centers for Youth & Families (BCYF) community centers Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9 a.m. - 5 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, more than 50 splash pads will be open at parks and playgrounds throughout the City. Select indoor BCYF pools are open and the outdoor BCYF Mirabella Pool is open Wednesday through Sunday. Registration for a time to swim can be found at this link .

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. Additionally, the majority of summer sites are equipped with air conditioning and fans will be delivered to sites in need of cooling. 

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.