You deserve some relief from the heat!
As New York City faces seven days straight of 90-degree weather, the city has extended pool hours at most public pools. The city's parks department plans to announce on Tuesday that the Olympic and other intermediate-sized outdoor pools will stay open an EXTRA hour on Wednesday and Thursday. The pools will be open between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Megan Moriarty, a parks department spokesperson, said the city could decide to extend its pool hours on other days this week should the blazing temperatures continue. "We're going to keep looking at the forecast," she said.
The extended hours will not apply to the city's 17 mini pools that are reserved for small children. The extension of pool hours comes as the city has experienced some of the hottest days this summer so far. A heat advisory has been issued from the National Weather Service, beginning at noon and running until 8 p.m. Wednesday. Temperatures are expected to run between 95-100 degrees.
At the same time, New York City is facing a lifeguard shortage, where it is struggling to keep all of its 52 outdoor pools open. To expand its staffing, the city reached a deal with a lifeguards' union where it will give its workers a temporary pay jump going from $16 to $19 an hour. The city department said there were now 852 lifeguards, up from 778 when the union agreement was announced. The number is still far below the 1,400 to 1,500 lifeguards the city is seeking to hire.
Another safety measure that the city has put in place is activating it's cooling centers across the five boroughs for those without access to air conditioning.
WHEW!
New Yorkers interested in finding a nearby pool should visit the parks department website — which can be found here.
