Great Italian ice weather in New Jersey in June 2011!

They are already closing the schools 24 hours ahead of time because of the record setting heat that is being predicted. Story here is from the Newark Star Ledger

Italian ice heat

Temperatures climbed into the mid- and upper-90s in New Jersey, prompting city and school officials to take precautions against the heat.

Some schools ended classes at noon today, including the North Plainfield School District where officials decided to shorten school today and Thursday, said Marilyn Birnbaum, district superintendent.

“I know yesterday people were very happy that we made that decision. I think people really stress out over the heat,” she said shortly before classes let out today. Newark issued a heat advisory today and advised people to seek air-conditioned shelter during the day’s hottest hours: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The city set up several cooling centers for residents to take refuge from the heat. “I urge our senior citizens and Newark residents who lack air conditioning to come to one of our cooling centers, where they can find relief during this hot spell,” Newark Mayor Cory Booker said in a news release. The reason for these unseasonably high temperatures is a high-pressure system that’s sitting over much of the Eastern United States. Other systems aren’t moving through, meaning the heat lingers. Thursday will see similarly high temperatures throughout the state, and some cities will climb close to 99 degrees, said Lauren Nash, a National Weather Service meteorologist. “But Friday we’ll get a break — it’ll be 90,” Nash said. Libraries and community center in Woodbridge and Perth Amboy became cooling centers today as municipal leaders sought was to cool off their residents, and head off any health problems from the near-record breaking heat. In Woodbridge, town officials said residents could escape the heat in eight air-conditioned buildings, including the community center, four libraries, senior centers and town hall. Any residents without air condition or transportation should call the Division on Aging “Beat the Heat” program at (732) 855-0600, ext. 5023, or the township police at (732) 634-7700 for assistant. The township is loaning fans to senior or disabled residents without access to cooling devices. In Perth Amboy, the Jankowski Community Center on 1 Olive Street, and the city library at 196 Jefferson St, will be open until 5 p.m., and the gymnasium at the Raritan Bay Area YMCA at 357 New Brunswick Ave. will be open until 9:45 p.m. Residents can get information about the centers by calling (732) 826-0290, ext 4006. Newark cooling sites: Bethany Senior Center — (973) 733-5739
275 W. Market Street
Newark, New Jersey 07103 Friendly Senior Center — (973) 733-5748
89 Lincoln Street, Box 2H
Newark, New Jersey 07103 Grace West Senior Center — (973) 733-5740
Nutrition Tues/Thurs/Fri only
301 Irvine Turner Boulevard
Newark, New Jersey 07108 Ironbound Senior Center — (973) 424-4101
138 Clifford Street
Newark, New Jersey 07105 Nellie Grier Senior Center — (973) 424-4096
98-104 Maple Avenue
Newark, New Jersey 07112
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. South Ward Senior Center — (973) 424-4102
731 Clinton Avenue
Newark, New Jersey 07108
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Newark Department of Child & Family Well-Being — (973) 733-7592
110 William Street
Newark, New Jersey 07102 Ironbound Recreational Facility — (973) 733-3707
226 Rome Street
11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays Boylan Recreation Center — (973) 733-8947
16 South Orange Ave.
11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays JFK Center — Gym: (973) 733-5483, Aquatic Center: (973) 733-6550
211 West Kinney St.
9:30am to 7:30pm, Tuesdays through Fridays
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays St. Peter’s Recreation Center — (973) 733- 8006
378 Lyons Avenue
11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays
9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturdays Woodbridge Township cooling centers
Residents are urged to contact the Municipal facility to determine hours of operation. • Woodbridge Community Center at the YMCA, 600 Main Street, Woodbridge: (732) 596-4170 • Evergreen Senior Center, 400 Inman Avenue, Colonia: (732) 382-5545 • Community Center (Building 20) at the Bunns Lane Housing Development, Bunns Lane, (732) 634-2750) • Woodbridge Main Library, 1 George Frederick Plaza: (732) 634-4450 • Fords Branch Library, 211 Ford Avenue: (732) 726-7071 • Henry Inman Branch Library (Colonia), 607 Inman Avenue: (732) 726-7072 • Iselin Branch Library, 1081 Green Street, Iselin: (732) 726-7073 • Woodbridge Health Center, 2 George Frederick Plaza: (732) 855-0600 x5023 • Woodbridge Town Hall, One Main Street: (732) 634-4500 By Abram Brown and Tom Haydon/The Star-Ledger
Related topics: cory-booker, newark, nj-weather, north-plainfield, perth-amboy, woodbridge