The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for Mercer County and the surrounding area on Wednesday, July 20, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and an Excessive Heat Watch on Thursday, July 21, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. County Executive Brian M. Hughes reminds residents that many cooling sites will be open.

Temperatures 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. For the Excessive Heat Watch on Thursday, dangerously hot conditions with heat index values of 105 to 110 degrees are possible. Children, older adults, people with disabilities and pets are most at risk during excessive temperatures.

To cope during extreme heat, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, 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. If using a mask, use one that is made of breathable fabric, such as cotton, instead of polyester. Don’t wear a mask if you feel yourself overheating or have trouble breathing.

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. These locations are open to all residents. The Ewing, Hickory Corner, Hightstown, Hopewell, Lawrence, Robbinsville, Twin Rivers, and West Windsor library branches are open Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Hollowbrook Branch is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 5 p.m. Call individual senior centers for hours of operation, restrictions and accommodations. Call your local senior center if you don’t see it on the list of confirmed cooling sites below.

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• West Windsor, 333 North Post Road

Municipal senior center locations• Ewing Senior and Community Center, 999 Lower Ferry Road; 609-883-1776• Hamilton Senior Center, 409 Cypress Lane; 609-890-3686• Hopewell Valley Senior Center, 395 Reading St., Pennington; 609-537-0236• John O Wilson Center, 169 Wilfred Avenue, Hamilton; 609-393-6480• Princeton Senior Resource Center, 101 Poor Farm Road, Building B, Princeton; 609-751-9699• Robbinsville Township Senior Center, 1117 Route 130; 609- 259-1567• Samuel Naples Senior Center, 611 Chestnut Ave., Trenton; 609-989-3462• West Windsor Senior Center, 271 Clarksville Road; 609-799-9068

In Trenton, the Sam Naples Senior Center located at 611 Chestnut Avenue will be open today (7/20) as a Cooling Center from 4:00PM to 7:00PM through Friday (7/22).

Weekend hours will be Saturday and Sunday from 12PM to 7PM. Transportation is available by calling (609) 989-3462.

As well all Public Swimming Pools will be open. The hours of operation are as follows.

  • 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Senior Swim – 60 & Older / Instructional Swim
  • 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Summer Camp* / Open Swim
  • 1:00PM – 2:00 p.m. Pool Prep/Closed
  • 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. OPEN SWIM
  • 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Pool Prep/Closed
  • 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. OPEN SWIM
  • * Open Swim available if there are no Summer Camp swimmers.

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 Resources page or the National Institute on Aging Hot Weather Safety page.

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