Residents Find Ways To Beat The Heat

By Lisa Massicotte, The Chronicle

July 8, 2021

The heat is on and area residents are finding ways to beat it.

“Get underneath the sand and relax, it’s cooler,” said Arcadio Ramos of New London, who was digging in the sand with his niece and nephew by the river at Lauter Park Tuesday afternoon.

Ramos is spending time with them in Willimantic this week and the bunch plan to stay close to the air conditioning at home, take some scenic drives and throw some ribs and burgers on the grill.

Just because the July 4 holiday weekend is over, it doesn’t mean the summer fun ends.

“Just hang out with the family and try not to lose our tempers. It’s easy to lose our tempers in this heat,” Ramos said.

Tuesday brought high heat and humidity during the day and bursts of lightning and thunder throughout the state in the evening, which was mostly triggered by the heat.

Today, actual temperatures may reach up to the 90s, according to senior meteorologist Bill Jacquemin of the Connecticut Weather Center.

When humidity is added into the mix, today’s weather conditions could feel closer to 100 degrees, according to the Connecticut Weather Center heat index.

Fortunately for Ramos and the rest of area residents, a cold front is moving in tonight, which will break the heat and cause more storms, according to Jacquemin.

“Today is the last day of the heat,” Jacquemin said this morning.

The heat advisory should be lifted throughout the state by 7 or 8 tonight, according to Jacquemin.

“A cold front is coming in from the northwest and also Tropical Storm Elsa will be coming up from the Southwest. Both of those weather situations will be causing more clouds, not as warm temperatures, it will still be humid, but it’s not going to be as hot tomorrow, with temperatures around 80 to 85 degrees,” Jacquemin said.

And Friday, area residents can expect more storms coming from the remnants of Elsa.

Jacquemin said area residents can expect about 2 to 3 inches of rain Friday, which will lead into a beautiful weekend.

Meanwhile, several area residents took to the lakes and rivers nearby as a way to stay cool Tuesday.

Izabella Parker, 5, of Willimantic, was puddling around at Lauter Park’s splash pad Tuesday afternoon with tons of other local kids and families.

Although she said she loves playing around the splash pad with her friends, what she loves even more is snorkeling in the lake at Bigelow Hollow State Park in Union.

“I like the lake a lot. I love it,” Izabella said.

Her mother, Zavi Cambre-len of Willimantic, said their summer has been off to a great start.

“We love to go to places like this or the lake. The mask situation was difficult last year in getting out of the house, especially in the heat. So this year it’s been good so far,” Cambrelen said.

Also at the splash pad was Mansfield resident Ryan Cooper and his two sons, who were letting out a lot of energy running around and playing together.

“We wanted to check out the skate park, have some Italian ice and now we’re cooling off at the water park,” Cooper said.

The Cooper family also likes to go over to the Willimantic River and stick their feet in the water and skip rocks, as well as visit the beach in East Lyme, where their other family members live.

Due to the hot weather this week, Willimantic Fire Department Chief Marc Scrivener is encouraging residents to research the symptoms and warning signs of heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

He also said for folks to pay close attention to their loved ones with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure and asthma because those people can be particularly vulnerable to hot weather.

“People should be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat emergencies and watch out for them in themselves and their friends and family,” Scrivener said Tuesday.

Follow Lisa Massicotte on Twitter - @LMassicotteTC.

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