Extreme Heat Warning Prompts Cooling Center Plan In Bernards Township

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Bernards Township residents will have two places to cool off this week as an Extreme Heat Warning remains in effect for the area through Saturday.

The National Weather Service(NWS) is forecasting temperatures that will reach 95 to 105 degrees with heat index values of 100 to 110 degrees.

The township advised residents to drink plenty of water, limit outdoor activity and stay cool.

The Bernards Township Library and Town Hall have been designated cooling centers during the warning period.

The library will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Town Hall will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Because of the predicted extreme heat over the holiday weekend, Town Hall will also open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The township said additional cooling center information for Somerset County is available at somersetcountynj.gov.

Bernards Township also said police, the Office of Emergency Management and the Department of Public Works are monitoring the weather and any power outages within the township.

Those agencies are prepared to open or extend cooling center hours if necessary due to extensive and/or prolonged power outages over the next several days.

The Township also directs residents to several outside resources for updates and safety information:

• National Weather Service Briefing
• JCP&L Heat Related Information and Tips
• JCP&L Outage Information
• Click here to visit the Utilities page for information on how to report a service outage.

The NWS issued a Code Orange Air Quality alert for Bernards Township.

"A code orange air quality alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups. Sensitive groups include children, people suffering from asthma, heart disease or other lung diseases, and the elderly. The effects of air pollution can be minimized by avoiding strenuous activity or exercise outdoors," according to the NWS.

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