Summer's first heat spurs air quality alert

By Owen Boss

Staff Writer

Area residents who have been looking for a break in this summer's unusually rainy weather now find themselves confronted with the season's first heat wave, prompting safety officials to remind them to do whatever they can to stay cool.

Although the definition varies, News 22 meteorologist Brian Lapis said that in order for this current trend to be officially labeled a heat wave, temperatures must reach 90 degrees for a third consecutive day today - a mark he said they will likely exceed, with the National Weather Service predicting a high near 95.

Temperatures Monday hit 94 degrees in Boston. Officials in Springfield and West Springfield opened cooling centers to deal with the heat wave, and senior centers in Chicopee and Westfield were available as cooling centers as needed.

The sudden blast of summer heat can be attributed to a seasonal weather system off the East Coast that hasn't been seen much this season, Lapis said.

"For the fist time in a while we have a good old-fashioned "Bermuda high" just off the East Coast," Lapis said. "That Bermuda high is pushing warm air from the south and southwest right into New England and that's a big part of why we're headed toward a heat wave this week."

Along with higher temperatures, Lapis said he expects the system will produce air that is unusually humid, which can enhance the production of ozone and cause unhealthy air conditions, especially for those particularly susceptible to hotter conditions like children and senior citizens.

"I do expect muggy air in the area through the end of the week. The elevated levels of humidity will make it seem a little hotter than it actually feels," Lapis said.

The drier the air, Lapis said, the easier it is for humans to cool themselves by sweating. Unusually humid weather, like today's, makes that process harder, and residents should make more of an effort to stay properly hydrated.

The combination of hot weather and muggy air has caused the state's Department of Environmental Protection to issue an air quality alert for sensitive groups across the area. The warning, which indicates that most residents will be able to work through the heat, urges those with asthma, lung disease or heart disease and active children and seniors not to engage in prolonged outdoor activities.

Also, the alert asks people to ensure that animals left outdoors have shade and water.

Although the current pattern will cause high temperatures early in the week, Lapis said scattered showers will generate noticeably cooler weather into this weekend. "Instead of 90s, we'll be looking at mid- to upper 80s," Lapis said. "As for a long-term pattern, that's always tough to say ... by Sunday, we're expected to be sunny, dry and in the 70s."

Residents with questions about air quality or heat safety should visit the department's Web site, http://www.mass.gov/dep.

Owen Boss can be reached at oboss@gazettenet.com.