Official Kick-Off to Summer Begins with Excessive Heat Warning

The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning for Central New Jersey from today until Friday at 6 p.m.

Temperatures could reach the high 90s beginning today, the official first day of summer, with heat indexes reaching 100 degrees or higher because of the humidity.

Children, older adults, people with disabilities and pets are most at risk during excessive temperatures. Officials said residents should drink water regularly even if they are not thirsty, try to stay indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned space, and wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing when going outdoors. Pets are also vulnerable to excessive heat. Animals should never be left unattended in a vehicle, even with the windows down or for short periods of time, and pets should be provided with plenty of fresh water to drink and a shaded or sheltered area.

Mercer County offers designated summer cooling sites for residents, including all municipal senior centers, neighborhood community centers and the nine Mercer County Library System Branches. The following Mercer County library branches are cooling sites: Ewing, Hickory Corner, Hightstown, Hollowbrook, Hopewell, Lawrence, Robbinsville, Twin Rivers and West Windsor.

The following municipal senior centers are cooling sites: the Princeton Senior Resource Center, Hamilton, Ewing, Hopewell Valley, Jennye Stubblefield, Lawrence Township, Monsignor Lipinski, Reading, Sam Naples and Robbinsville Township.

For more information or to contact your local cooling site, please call the Mercer County Office on Aging at 877-222-3737. The County also offers a “Warmline”. During daytime hours, residents can call (609) 989-6661 or toll-free (877) 222-3737 for assistance in coping with the heat. During non-business hours, residents are encouraged to call 911 if they experience heat-related problems.