Region stays a few degrees cooler than other parts of the state
While other parts of the state hit the 90s on Wednesday, New London County stayed a few degrees cooler and is expected to remain in the mid-80s through the weekend.
Gary Lessor, meteorologist with The Weather Center at Western Connecticut State University, said temperatures thus far this month in New London County are about average for this time of year.
The current temperatures may feel hot but don’t qualify as a heat wave, Lessor said.
“A heat wave is 90 degrees or higher for three consecutive days,” he said.
On Wednesday, the high temperature was 86 degrees in Groton, nine degrees cooler than the high in Windsor Locks and six degrees cooler than Bridgeport.
Unhealthy air quality alerts were issued for Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London counties for Thursday due to high levels of ground-level ozone, and New York City was under a heat advisory through Thursday for high heat and humidity.
On Thursday the high temperature in New London County are expected to reach 83 degrees.
The region is expected to see showers in the afternoon, bringing some much needed moisture to lawns and gardens. Lessor said New London County has received just 14.7 inches of rainfall thus far this year, about half the average and lower than other parts of the state.
Even though breezes off the Sound kept New London from hitting the 90s, Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio on Wednesday announced he is opening the city’s cooling center at the Richard R. Martin Social Services Center in the Senior Center on Thursday and Friday. It will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days.
Anyone seeking shelter from the hot weather outside of regular business hours should call the state hotline at 2-1-1.
While the hot weather may be making some local residents uncomfortable, residents of the Mohican Senior Apartments in New London had an additional cause of discomfort on Wednesday. They were unable to use the elevators Wednesday afternoon, forcing several to wait in the lobby and keeping others confined to their apartments for several hours.
Tom Evan, district manager for Related Management, the company that oversees the State Street building, said one of the elevators has been out of service for several weeks as part of a modernization project.
The building's other elevator stopped working at about 1 p.m., he said. A repairman was contacted, but due to a backlog of requests, was not expected to arrive at the Mohican until late afternoon or early evening, he said.
"There is a group of residents in the lobby area who have been unable to get to their apartments," he said. "We made an area available to them with air conditioning and brought them water and pizza. It's an unfortunate part of doing renovations."
Resident Sheila Elliott, who lives on the ninth floor, was one of five residents waiting in the lobby at about 4 p.m. Wednesday. Because she uses a walker, she said, she depends on the elevator to get to her apartment.
"I've been here since around 2," said another resident, Maddy Jarvis, who uses a cane. "The managers are trying to do everything they can for us."
Another resident, who declined to give her name, said one of the management staff took the stairs to get her oxygen tank from her apartment when she returned to the building after the elevator broke.
Evan said the elevator was repaired and working again by 6:15 p.m.
Marc Melanson, battalion chief for the New London Fire Department, said the department was notified about the broken elevator but had not had any calls for emergency assistance from residents.
j.benson@theday.com
Twitter: @BensonJudy
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