A heat wave is defined as three consecutive days where the temperature reaches or exceeds 90 °F.  It also ties in with humidity levels to determine a heat index threshold or feels like temperature.  We are officially in a heat wave on Long Island!  The weather feels something like a dog panting in your face for the next 48 hours ... while standing in a car wash. 

Suffolk County Executive Bellone has asked that residents take it easy during the next few days and follow the experts’ advice on how to "Beat the Heat." Many residents received a text from the county alerting them to the severe weather. Suffolk County will open cooling centers for Suffolk County residents beginning July 16th at 12:00 noon. 

The Suffolk County cooling centers will provide a place for individuals to seek a reprieve from the heat during the hours of the forecasted Heat Advisory. Each cooling center will have a representative from Office of Emergency Management, Suffolk County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and the American Red Cross. The cooling centers will be opened by noon today-July 16, 2013 and will remain open until 8pm. They will re-open on Wednesday from 9am-8pm.

• SCCC – Brentwood Campus – Captree Commons, Crooked Hill Road, Brentwood
• SCCC – Ammerman Campus – Babylon Student Center, 533 College Road, Selden
• SCCC – Riverhead – Peconic Building, 121 Speonk-Riverhead Road, Riverhead

Towns are also opening their own local cooling centers in Brookhaven, Huntington, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southampton Town, Southold and Smithtown. 

Nassau County has extended the hours of their pools as well as opened cooling centers.  The town of Hempstead has opened 15 cooling centers opened at Senior Centers.  Lifeguards will be on duty for an extra hour, until 7 pm for ocean swimmers.  The town of North Hempstead has four cooling centers that are providing residents with air conditioning and cold water. 

Here are some great tips to stay cool.

It is definitely hot out there, but at least we don't have to shovel it!

 

[Source: Suffolk County , Nassau County ]