Philly cooling centers open, water shut-offs pause Sunday for dangerous heat wave

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A dangerous heat wave is hitting the Philadelphia region starting this weekend, bringing high humidity and forecasted temperatures of up to 100 degrees Monday and Tuesday. The heat index, a measure of how hot the air feels, is forecast to soar to 107 degrees Monday afternoon.

The city has declared a Heat Health Emergency starting at noon Sunday. This activates cooling centers and pauses Philadelphia Water Department shutoffs. A Code Red for the city’s Office of Homeless Services will also go into effect Sunday Morning.

The Heat Health Emergency will last until Wednesday evening, or longer if the forecast worsens.

Cooling centers consist of extended hours at some libraries, rec centers and Philadelphia Housing Authority community centers. A map of cooling centers is available here.

The Philadelphia Corporation for Aging’s heatline will be available during daytime hours during Heat Health Emergency at 215-765-9040. Callers can receive guidance on precautions and speak with Health Department nurses about heat-related medical problems.

“The Health Department declares a Heat Health Emergency when the temperature gets high enough that vulnerable people – especially our elderly neighbors and family members – are at an increased risk of getting sick or dying from the heat,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Palak Raval-Nelson in a written statement.

“The best way to protect our loved ones is to make sure they can get into air conditioning during the hottest part of the day,” she added. “As always, we encourage Philadelphians to check on elderly friends and neighbors to make sure they’re safe and don’t need assistance.”

During a Code Red event, the city implements special measures to keep people experiencing homelessness safe. Those measures include 24-hour outreach to find unhoused people and transport them to safe indoor spaces and opening all available beds within the city’s emergency housing network.

The city’s Office of Homeless Services declares a Code Red when the heat index is forecast to be above 95 degrees for three consecutive days.

If a person experiencing homelessness needs help during a Code Red, a street outreach team can be requested by contacting the city’s Homeless Outreach hotline at 215-232-1984.

During Code Red events, all dogs must be either indoors or have access to shelter that meets certain requirements, including access to drinking water and shade.