Atlanta residents should take extra precautions to stay cool over the next few days, as the city and other parts of the state are expected to get dangerously hot weather this week.
According to the National Weather Service, Atlanta is under a heat advisory until 8 p.m. Tuesday as the heat index is predicted to be in the 100s throughout the week. For those looking to escape the heat, local officials are directing residents to temporary cooling centers and local pools.
“We’re in for some severe temperatures this week. Stay hydrated and limit time spent outside, especially the elderly, children, and pets. Stay cool and help look out for your fellow Georgians,” Gov. Brian Kemp wrote in a social media post Monday.
For Atlanta’s Black residents, signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke are something to stay extra aware of during this time, as some Black communities in the city are disproportionately impacted by extreme urban heat compared to white communities.
Researchers say this is a result of discriminatory urban practices like redlining, which left some Black communities with less cooling infrastructure and green spaces, like trees and parks, and high concentrations of concrete and asphalt that absorb heat.
Several places will be open across the area where residents can cool off and beat the summer heat:
Atlanta
The city is opening a temporary cooling center at Selena S. Butler Park, located at 98 William Holmes Borders Sr. Drive NE. Bottled water will be available.
The cooling center will operate from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday until further notice, but will not be open July 3 because of the holiday weekend.
There are also hydration stations at fire stations across the city — a map of those locations are available here.
The city is also recommending residents to cool off at the following local splash pads and city pools which are free and open to the public:
All splashpads are open daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., except July 3 and July 4: .
- Center Hill, 2305 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW
- Cook Park, 616 Joseph E. Boone Blvd. NW
- D.H. Stanton Park, Boyton Avenue SE and Martin Street SE
- Historic Fourth Ward Park, Rankin Street NE and Garden Park Drive
- Perkerson Park, 770 Deckner Ave. SW
- The Rev. James Orange Park, 1305 Oakland Drive SW
Information on indoor and outdoor pools located in the city can be found here.
Cobb County
The MUST Ministries Hope House will be open as a cooling center until July 3 from noon to 6:30 p.m. Visitors will receive lunch and dinner before they leave. The Hope House shelter is at 1297 Bells Ferry Road in Marietta.
Gwinnett County
There are aquatic centers throughout the county that remain open all year, offering pools, air conditioning, and more:
- Bethesda Park Aquatic Center; 225 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville. The leisure pool is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
- Bogan Park Aquatic Center; 2723 N. Bogan Road NE, Buford. The leisure pool is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 1 p.m to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
- Collins Hill Park Aquatic Center; 2200 Collins Hill Road, Lawrenceville. The leisure pool is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
- Mountain Park Aquatic Center; 1063 Rockbridge Road SW, Stone Mountain. The leisure pool is open from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
- West Gwinnett Park Aquatic Center; 4488 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross. The leisure pool is open from noon to 6 p.m Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
This story has been updated.
