Worcester opens cooling centers during heat advisory

Worcester Telegram & Gazette
July 13, 2026 (Updated July 14, 2026, 8:07 a.m. ET)

Worcester is opening cooling centers as the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for a short stretch of this week.

The advisory runs from 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 14 until 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 15. High temperatures will fall in the mid 90s both days. Factoring in humidity, Wednesday, July 15 will be the hotter of the two days, with a “feels-like” temperature of 100.

Locations and hours for both days include the Worcester Public Library main branch downtown from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Worcester Senior Center from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and the YMCA of Central Massachusetts (Central Community Branch at 766 Main Street) from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Cooling centers also opened during the July 1-3 heat wave.

Areas of high pressure this time of year are causing the elevated heat, said Andrea LaRocca, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

Temperatures in the mid- to upper-80s are expected for Thursday, July 16 and Friday, July 17, with lower humidity. LaRocca is calling for the weekend to be “much more seasonable,” with a high temperature of 82.

Read the full article on telegram.com