Heat advisory, flood watch, possible tornado: Worcester braces for wild weather
WORCESTER — It’s hot out there and Worcester could be in the midst of it first official heat wave of the year.
If that's the case, then Hermes Rivera wasn’t going to let that stop him from doing his job. Rivera was busy collecting trash and cutting the grass at Worcester Common Thursday morning, something he has done for more than 20 years working for the city parks department.
“What are you going to do, go home? I got to work,” said Rivera, before hopping on a mower to keep the Common looking sharp.
Meanwhile, severe weather with damaging winds, flash flooding and a possible isolated tornado was forecasted for 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday in Massachusetts including the Worcester area, according to the National Weather Service in Norton.
National Grid had staff at the ready to respond to emergency situations including 350 field-based crews and more than 1,000 workers.
Heat advisory through Saturday
Much of Massachusetts was under a heat advisory and it could last through Saturday in Southern Worcester County including Worcester, according to meteorologist Kristie Smith at the National Weather Service.
Elevated heat can result in ozone, pollution and fine particle levels that pose a problem for those suffering with respiratory illnesses. The city’s two air quality monitors registered “good” Thursday morning. One is located on Summer Street across from St. Vincent Hospital. The other is near Worcester Regional Airport and both are owned and operated by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Are we in a heat wave?
As for the question of whether we’re in a heat wave, the forecast called for a high of 91 Thursday, with the same expected high Friday. To achieve an official heat wave, temperatures must hit 90 or higher for three straight days; it’s unclear if Saturday will hit the mark.
A cold front is expected to move in Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, and temperatures could top out in the upper 80s.
“If I had to guess now, I would place bets on no (heat wave) for Worcester. But, of course, that could change,” said Smith at the National Weather Service.
Get ready for more heat days in Worcester
Adults who have spent their entire lives in Worcester can expect eight times the number of days above 90 degrees when they reach retirement, compared to the number when they were children, according to First Street.
The nonprofit provides peer-reviewed research to assess climate risk. Here is a breakdown of the rising heat prediction due to climate crisis:
A hot day in Worcester is considered to be any day above a “feels like” temperature of 93 degrees.
Worcester is expected to experience seven hot days this year. Due to a changing climate, in three decades, Worcester likely will experience more than twice as many hot days annually - 16 days every year.
About 30 years ago, when many adults in Worcester were young, the number of days above 93 in a typical year was just two.
It will 'feel like' 100 degrees
Smith stressed that while Thursday and Friday will be in the low 90s, it will actually feel like it’s 100 degrees outside. The heat index is the reason, said Smith, and the index is a combination of air temperature and relative humidity.
When the heat index is higher than air temperature, sweat doesn’t evaporate at its normal rate. Sweat evaporation is our body’s natural AC and when the process is disrupted the risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke increases.
Life moves on, despite the heat
Sarah Kanevsky Khan strolled through the Common Thursday with her three kids. They had to be outside because it was time to get their passports for an upcoming trip to Mexico. When that errand ended, the plan was to hurry home to Shrewsbury and play outside under the sprinkler.
Jim Rafter of Worcester kicked back on a bench in the Common, holding a copy of the book "Surviving James Dean" that he had just checked out at the nearby Worcester Public Library in Salem Square. Rafter was soon on his way home to cool off with air conditioning and noted the news of rising ocean temperatures in Florida to highlight his belief that it’s connected to climate change.
“One hundred percent,” said Rafter. “It’s like a hot tub.”
When asked what climate change has in store for Worcester, Rafter wasn’t ready to make that prediction.
Two cooling centers in Worcester
For those who don’t have air conditioning or just need to beat the heat, two cooling centers were open in Worcester Thursday and Friday. One is at the Salem Squire library, where librarian Alyson Gabree sat behind the front desk, near a case of bottled water for anyone who needed a cool drink.
Gabree planned ahead, packing a lunch so she didn’t have to leave the building and walk into a heat index that felt like a broiling oven.
“Our (library) patrons appreciate a place where they can stay cool for the day,” said Gabree, who plans to pack a lunch Friday to stay out of the heat.
The city's other cooling center is located at the Worcester Senior Center on Providence Street.
Hours for both locations:
9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Salem Square library
9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the senior center
Hours could be extended, if necessary, according to a city press release.
The Telegram & Gazette is investigating the effects of a rapidly heating planet on people who live in our city. Follow along with "City on Fire" as we report the struggle with summer temperatures, even in New England. This is part of the USA TODAY project Perilous Course. Contact reporter Henry Schwan to be included in a story if you have been affected by heat: expense of air conditioning or lack of it, health risks, less access to green space, concern about pets and animals in the summer conditions, worry about an older loved one, etc.
Contact Henry Schwan at henry.schwan@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter: @henrytelegram.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester heat advisory, flood watch with chance for isolated tornado
