Burlington To Open Cooling Center As Temperatures Spike

BURLINGTON, MA – Burlington will open a cooling center at its Human Services Building off Center Street through the remainder of the week as temperatures are forecast to climb across the region, the town announced on Wednesday.

The cooling center will be located in Room 106 within the Human Services Building at 61 Center Street. It is scheduled to remain open from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.

Hot weather is forecast to linger in Burlington through the weekend, with heat indexes potentially pushing past 100 on Thursday, according to Accuweather.

A heat advisory from the National Weather Service is set to take effect on Thursday morning at 11 a.m.

State officials at the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, meanwhile, are offering tips to stay safe during extreme heat. Among those, individuals should ensure that they stay hydrated while avoiding strenuous activity if possible.

Heat waves have been linked to spikes in emergency calls in the past. Recently, Boston Emergency Medical Services noted a 20% increase over average daily calls between July 19 and July 25 of this year while high temperatures gripped the region.

Boston EMS responded to at least 80 directly heat-related calls during that span, according to the agency.