Philadelphia declares first heat health emergency of the year
The city will open cooling centers and a heat-related health line.
Philadelphia’s first heat emergency of the year will be in effect starting Thursday.
The emergency will begin 8 a.m. Thursday and end at midnight on Saturday, but the emergency could be extended depending on the forecast. High temperatures are expected to continue through the weekend.
Interim Health Commissioner Frank Franklin announced the emergency Wednesday in response to expected heat index maximums. The heat index is what temperatures feel like to the human body due to humidity and air temperature combined.
According to the National Weather Service, the heat index values in the area are expected to range from 95 to 100 degrees from Wednesday evening through 6 a.m. Saturday, with the hottest expected on Friday. From Saturday morning to Sunday evening, “dangerously hot” heat index values could range from 100 to 105 degrees.
The weather forecast predicts a high of 93 degrees on Thursday, and up to 97 degrees on Friday, 96 degrees on Saturday, and 98 degrees on Sunday in Philadelphia.
The city will open its cooling centers during the emergency, and officials recommend that people who don’t have air conditioning visit loved ones who do. The Corporation for the Aging’s Heatline will also be open between 8:30 a.m. and midnight for people to ask nurses about heat-related medical problems, at 215-765-9040.
» READ MORE: Stay cool Philly: Find your nearest cooling center during the intense heat
“The Health Department declares a heat health emergency when the temperature gets high enough that vulnerable people — especially our elderly neighbors and family members — are at an increased risk of getting sick or dying from the heat,” the health commissioner said. “… As always, we encourage Philadelphian to check on elderly friends and neighbors to make sure they’re safe and don’t need assistance.”
The city will also increase its outreach efforts to people experiencing homelessness.