Intense heat and humidity took its toll on people throughout New Jersey this week and local residents of Hillsborough and Manville were no exception.
By:Alec Moore
Temperatures in central New Jersey reached a record high on Tuesday as the mercury rose to 100 degrees, with stiflingly thick humidity that made it feel even hotter.
Wednesday also proved to be a scorcher as the National Weather Service predicted that temperatures in the tri-state region would reach 100 degrees with the potential to exceed the 100-degree mark.
The state Department of Environmental Protection issued an unhealthy air quality alert for Tuesday and Wednesday, citing high levels of ozone and elevated fine particulate levels which present dangerous conditions for young children, the elderly and people with respiratory or heart ailments.
Marcie Tyson, health educator for Manville, pointed out that even individuals in good health should exercise caution during periods of extreme heat and humidity and avoid strenuous activities. People working outdoors in particular, she says, are at great risk of suffering a number of heat related ailments, including heatstroke which could cause death in extreme cases.
National Weather Service forecasts predict that temperatures in the region will cool to more moderate levels by Saturday.
In Hillsborough, lifeguards Jennifer Migdal and Dan Goldberg, from the Robin Road Village pool and Claremont Hills pool respectively, agreed that this week’s heat wave prompted many residents to look to the pools to beat the heat.
"Usually around 1 o’clock it starts getting really crowded," said Mr. Goldberg, noting attendance at the Claremont pool was significantly higher Tuesday afternoon than it normally is during more moderate temperatures.
Ms. Migdal said she noticed that a large number of residents would jump in the pool just to cool off without staying for any significant length of time.
"A lot of people have just been jumping in and then leaving," she said.
Manville lifeguards Deena Giles, Jen Ruhl and Heidi Marie-Paoli at the Memorial Park pool said they had also noticed a much greater number of swimmers on Tuesday due to the heat and expected the same for Wednesday. "There’s probably going to be a lot of people today," said Ms. Giles.
As for how the lifeguards themselves deal with spending so much time in the sun, Ms. Ruhl said "we use lots of sunblock."