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BOSTON (WHDH) - Thursday marked another day of temperatures pushing triple digits in the Boston area, with thunderstorms sweeping through near the end of the day.
As people in Boston and beyond tried to get relief from the record-breaking heat, they got another option on Thursday as the state Department of Conservation and Recreation opened the Olsen Pool in Hyde Park and three others outside the city a few days early to give people a place to cool off.
The pools were originally scheduled to open on Saturday. Amid the current heat, Mayor Michelle Wu said the city is working to get more pools up and running.
“We’re trying to get as many of our pools open as quickly as possible,” Wu said. “This summer we should have more pools online than we’ve had in the past, but some of the construction projects are still wrapping up in their final stages and will be coming online later this summer.”
Most DCR pools are scheduled to open on Saturday, but four, including the Olsen Pool, opened Thursday in response to the heat wave.
The Bennett Pool in Worcester, the Holland Memorial Pool in Malden, and the John H. Thomas Memorial Pool in Springfield all opened as well.
“The first thing I’m thinking of is coming here and getting in the water,” said Michael Watson, who was at the Olsen Pool.
Numerous spray decks were open, as were 81 beaches managed by the agency. The DCR encouraged people to check their municipality’s website to identify local cooling centers.
Lydia Hausley cooled off under a misting tent set up on City Hall Plaza on Thursday.
“I mean I like the heat, but I did make my way to the beach yesterday and enjoying some mist now on the plaza,” Hausley said.
At the beach in South Boston, several families soaked up the sun.
“Plenty of parking, it’s nice to come down for a couple hours. Can’t beat it,” said one beachgoer.
At Fenway Park Thursday evening, there were long lines of concertgoers prepared to see Lana Del Rey.
“I feel like it’s definitely going to be really stuffy and I’m definitely going to be sweating a lot,” one person said.
“Target was out of fans so we’re kind of in trouble with that one,” another said.
Thunderstorms prompted an evacuation from the field at Fenway just before 9 p.m., but fans were allowed back outside after a delay.
The high temperatures are no joke.
“If you were in direct sunlight for more than 30 seconds, it felt like you were baking in the oven,” said Deepa Soni, who was cooling off at a fountain Wednesday.
“It’s absolutely crazy,” agreed Ciel Desai, also cooling off.
Boston EMS said it’s been responding to more calls, with the heat being a contributing factor.
“You can get a condition called heat stroke that can be deadly on a scale of minutes to hours if its not treated,” said emergency physician Caleb Dresser. “So we have to be able to recognize what’s going on and take appropriate action.”
Families said it’s been a challenge to keep their kids cool, but fountains, sprinklers, and splash pads throughout the city are a big help.
“We wanted to cool off, so it feels amazing,” Nirav Desai said.
Temperatures reached into the mid 90s in several spots across New England Thursday, prompting a widespread heat advisory and an excessive heat warning in southern New Hampshire.
The heat coupled with high humidity to also send heat index values soaring above 100 degrees as several communities marked their third consecutive day of temperatures above 90 degrees.
Cooler weather is expected Friday.
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