Hot and humid temperatures are smothering Connecticut this week as the state’s first summer heat wave settles in.
Gov. Ned Lamont activated the state’s extreme weather protocol, advising caution until at least Wednesday. The governor’s guidelines include staying in air-conditioned buildings, drinking lots of water and wearing light-colored clothing.
But there’s one popular way to cool off that the governor didn’t mention: Going for a swim at a park or beach.
Dozens came out to Millers Pond State Park in Durham on Monday to swim, go paddle boating or find a shady area to rest. The 33-acre park also allows for hiking, fishing and kayaking.
Leslie Rivera visited Millers Pond with her brother, David. It seems the heat didn’t worry them too much.
“It’s just beautiful – a beautiful day,” Rivera said. “We have to enjoy it while it lasts, because we had a lot of winter, and … ugh. We just have to enjoy it.”
Danielle Caruso visited Millers Pond from nearby Meriden and said she visits every spring and summer.
“Today we took the day off, and we all got together – me, my boyfriend, and my mother-and-law,” she said. “We like to get here nice and early, grab a nice spot so we can get in and out.”
Extreme heat was expected again across Connecticut on Tuesday, with temperatures dropping into the low 90s on Wednesday. Temperatures should be in the 70s on Thursday.
While some escaped to a park or beach, many spent Monday indoors.
For others, like construction workers or those experiencing homeless, Monday was just another day.
People without a place to live are particularly vulnerable in the heat. Hartford and other cities across the state have opened cooling shelters at libraries, senior centers and other locations.
In Hartford, a construction worker offered Tyler Boczon a bottle of cold water.
“On a daily basis, whether it's in the middle of winter or the middle of summer, being outside and being homeless, to me, it doesn't make a difference whether it's hot or cold out,” Boczon said. “I'm always out in it this, this is my daily life.”
Still, others were outside to help people in need. Some handed out water bottles. Zion Hercules handed out apples in Hartford.
“It’s not really too much,” he said. “It takes a village. We’re all in this together and it's only going to get hotter.”
