Heat Warning Issued; Cooling Sites Open

The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for Mercer County and the surrounding area that will remain in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 29, and a Heat Advisory that will be in effect from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 8 p.m. Wednesday. County Executive Brian M. Hughes reminds residents that many cooling sites will be open.  Temperatures through Wednesday are expected to reach the middle to upper 90s with a heat index (a measure of the combination of heat and humidity) of up to 105 degrees on Tuesday and 102 degrees on Wednesday. Children, older adults, people with disabilities and pets are most at risk during excessive temperatures.

To cope during extreme heat, drink plenty of water, even if you are not thirsty, and spend as much time as possible in an air-conditioned environment. Be sure to check on elderly relatives and neighbors.

Hot weather can impact everyone, regardless of age or condition, but some people are more at risk than others. People most at risk include those over age 65, individuals with medical conditions, those taking medications that may affect the way the body reacts to heat, people with disabilities, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, babies and young children, those who are overweight or obese, individuals who work or exercise outdoors, and even those residents who may have recently arrived from cooler climates. Never leave children, pets or anyone with limited mobility alone in hot vehicles. Even with the windows rolled down, only minutes in a hot car can be deadly.

Mercer County Library System branches and municipal senior centers serve as cooling sites, although daily hours of operation vary. Not all senior centers are currently open. Inside the library, all patrons over the age of 2 are required to wear a face mask and adhere to physical distancing guidelines. Call individual locations for daily hours of operation. These locations are open to all residents.

Mercer County library branch locations: Ewing, 61 Scotch Road; Hickory Corner, 138 Hickory Corner Road, East Windsor; Hightstown Memorial, 114 Franklin St.; Hollowbrook, 320 Hollowbrook Drive, Ewing; Hopewell, 245 Pennington-Titusville Road, Pennington; Lawrence Headquarters Branch, 2751 Brunswick Pike; Robbinsville, 42 Allentown-Robbinsville Road; Twin Rivers, 276 Abbington Drive, East Windsor; and West Windsor, 333 North Post Road.

Currently open municipal senior center locations: Hollowbrook Community Center, 320 Hollowbrook Drive, Ewing; Ewing Senior and Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Road; Hamilton Senior Center, 409 Cypress Lane; Jennye W. Stubblefield Senior Center, 301 Prospect St., Trenton; Hopewell Valley Senior Center, 395 Reading St., Pennington; Samuel Naples Senior Center, 611 Chestnut Ave., Trenton; and Robbinsville Township Senior Center, 1117 Route 130.

For assistance in coping with the heat or to contact your local cooling site, please call the Mercer County Office on Aging at (609) 989-6661 or toll-free (877) 222-3737. During non-business hours, residents are encouraged to call 911 if they experience heat-related problems.

For more information regarding heat-related emergencies, please visit www.ready.nj.gov, the National Weather Service Heat Safety Tips and Resourcespage or the National Institute on Aging Hot Weather Safety page.