Long Beach tries to keep residents cool amid heat wave

City officials are trying to help residents stay cool and safe this week as Long Beach experiences its first official heat wave of the summer with temperatures predicted to remain near or above 90 degrees for the next few days.

A cooling center is open at the main branch of the Long Beach Public Library where people looking to get relief from the weather can recover with air conditioning and water, said city spokesman Gordon Tepper.

“It’s very important that everybody stays hydrated,” Tepper said.

The city is accepting beach passes until 6 p.m., after which point lifeguards are no longer on duty; there are no plans to keep lifeguards on duty for extended hours during the period of high temperatures, Tepper said.

On Thursday, Lifeguard Chief Paul Gillespie closed Tennessee and Lafayette beaches to surfers, saying that the waves are flat and that it is simply too hot to not allow swimmers at those locations.

In the evenings, the Long Beach Police Department patrols the beach until its full closure at 11 p.m. to prevent people from putting themselves in dangerous situations. If residents wade into the water, officers will summon them back out, Tepper said.

“Our lifeguards are on patrol [during the day] and our police department is patrolling in the evenings to help keep people out of the water,” Tepper said.

Temperatures are expected to remain near the 90-degree mark until Saturday when a cold front should bring rain and thunderstorms and drop temperatures into the high 70s and low 80s, according to the National Weather Service.

An air quality alert, which is issued by the National Weather Service when pollution levels are elevated, remains in effect until 11 p.m. Wednesday evening. The alert says that the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals should “consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity” during the day.

According to Tepper, there have not been any “extraordinary” emergency calls at the beach for people in distress as they try to cool off after hours.

“We’re extremely fortunate for that,” Tepper said.