Brace yourself: temperatures headed over 100

June 6, 2008 11:20 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

Caitlin Castello and Jillian Jorgensen, Globe Correspondents

Summer has not yet officially begun, but Massachusetts residents can expect a blistering heat wave to begin today that will bring temperatures as high as 101 degrees to some areas, forecasters said.

Temperatures in Boston will be in the 90s this weekend, and the city will be hottest on Monday at 97 degrees, according to Rebecca Gould, a forecaster at the National Weather Service.

The mercury will climb even higher Monday in the Springfield and Connecticut River Valley areas of western Massachusetts, reaching 100. In the Lowell area, temperatures could reach 101, Gould said.

In Boston, Mayor Thomas M. Menino has issued a heat advisory. Elderly people and young children are urged to take extra precautions when enjoying the summer weather.

The Boston Centers for Youth & Families will be opening cooling centers to provide people an escape from the heat.

“Everyone should enjoy the weather but be sage while doing so. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses and injuries, but everyone should remember to limit their activities during very hot weather,” Mayor Menino said in a statement.

The centers will be open from noon until 8 p.m. and are located at: 255 Medford St., Charlestown; 1663 Columbia Road, South Boston; 160 Florence St., Rosindale; 85 Olney St., Dorchester; 55 New Dudley St., Roxbury; Mason Pool, 159 Norfolk Ave., Roxbury; 5 Mildred Ave., Mattapan; 1 Worrell St., Dorchester; Paris Street Pool, 113 Paris St., East Boston; and 885 Washington St., Boston.