Record-Breaking Heat Forecasted Today

Potentially record-breaking temperatures could effect the city today.

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory until 7 p.m. tonight. Forecasted tempurates as high as 101 degrees could feel as hot as 104 with the increasing humidity.

These oppressive temperatures come on the heels of an almost five hour power outage Monday after a power surge at the James Traynor switching station on the Chatham and Summit border caused an equipment failure.

City Administrator Chris Cotter said power was reportedly still out on Prospect Street near Blackburn Road this morning. If power goes out in town today, Cotter said cooling centers will be established depending on the area of the outage and possible locations. For example, the Summit Free Public Library does not have an emergency generator and therefore could not be used as a cooling center.

Fire fighters also responded to two separate brush fires Monday.

The Family Aquatic Center, a popular place to stay cool this summer, is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends, from noon to 8 p.m. on weekdays and the leisure pool opens at 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays for mothers and small children.

Director of Community Programs Judith Josephs said that capacity at the FAC is only limited by the size of the parking lot, however no one has ever had to be turned away.

However when the power went out yesterday the FAC almost had to close.

"When the electric goes down so does your pool," she said. "But there was no way I was sending these people home to their hot houses."

So Josephs got creative. The FAC staff manually chlorinated the pool, lifeguards stirred the chemicals in and Josephs even got the kids involved.

She had the kids sit at the edge of the pool and kick their feet to help mix in the chemicals.

"If we didn't do that we would have had to close," she said.

Storytime at the pool with the library was canceled today but the first night of the Hot Summer Nights concert series is going on tonight as planned.

However, Josephs said excessive heat can have a negative effect on pool attendance. When it's too hot, people don't even want to come outside.

Donna Puzella, co-owner of Sweet Nothings, is experiencing just that.

Puzella reports she has sold no gelato, a new addition to the menu, today. In fact, Puzella said town is pretty quiet.

"It's too hot really to go out and all of the news stations have been advising people to stay in doors," she wrote in an e-mail to Patch. "In addition, I think many people took off this week taking advantage of the holiday on Monday."

But Nanette Kryston, co-owner of Kryston's Hardware, said on the contrary, her store has been bustling all day long.

"Kryston's paint and hardware has been busy all day with everything from light bulbs to paint," she wrote.

Kryston's did have to close after the power outage yesterday, Kryston said, however it did remain open for a short while helping customers from the doorway as the store was too dark for them to enter.

At the concert tonight, Josephs said the fire department will have a cooling tent with large fans set up for visitors and Investors Savings Bank will be distributing fans as well.

Puzella says she's keeping cool by wearing light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, wearing her hair up, drinking lots of water and, of course, eating lots of gelato.

The Red Cross also offers these tips for staying safe during excessive heat:

• Never leave children or pets alone in an enclosed vehicle.
• Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids, even if you don't feel thirsty. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.
• Eat small meals, and eat more often.
• Avoid extreme temperature changes.
• Wear loose-fitting, light-colored, lightweight clothing.
• Slow down, stay indoors and avoid strenuous activities during the hottest part of the day.
• Postpone outdoor sports and activities.
• Use the buddy system when working outdoors in the excessive heat.
• Take frequent breaks if you must work outdoors.
• Check on family, friends and neighbors, who do not have air conditioning, who spend a lot of time alone or may be affected by the heat.
• Check on your animals frequently to make sure they are not suffering because of the heat.