Weather
Worcester To Open Cooling Centers During Heat Wave
The heat index could reach 105 in Worcester during the worst of this week's heat wave, according to forecasts.
WORCESTER, MA — This could be the hottest stretch of 2021 so far.
The National Weather Service on Tuesday morning issued a heat advisory for most of southern New England, predicting that temperatures will likely exceed 100 degrees in most of central and eastern parts of Massachusetts. The heat advisory begins at 11 a.m. Wednesday, and will be followed by an excessive heat watch on Thursday morning.
Worcester could see the heat index reach 105 degrees on Thursday, which is expected to be the hottest day of the week — although Wednesday, Friday and Saturday may also feel at or near 100 degrees, according to the weather service.
The city is opening cooling centers during the blast. The Worcester Senior Center will be open through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and the main library downtown will be open Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
This week's heat wave follows a record-setting stretch of heat at the end of June, when heat indices reached the low 100s. The weather service is cautioning residents to avoid strenuous outdoor activity and to drink plenty of fluids.
Here's the National Weather Service heat wave forecast for Worcester this week:
Wednesday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Patchy fog before 10am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 90. Southwest wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 73. Southwest wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before midnight. Partly cloudy, with a low around 75. Southwest wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday: A chance of showers between 1pm and 5pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. West wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 72. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Saturday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 88. West wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday Night: A chance of showers before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. Northwest wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
