Massachusetts

Barnstable Postpones First Day of School Due to Harsh Heat

Heat index values reached up to 105 Tuesday and are expected to swell to the high number again on Wednesday

What to Know

  • Barnstable, Mass. students were scheduled to begin class Wednesday but have since moved it to Thursday due to the high heat.
  • An excessive heat watch went into effect Tuesday for several New England areas and grew into advisories and alerts around the northeast.
  • Lawrence and Haverhill students were also affected by the heat since schools announced early dismissals.

Barnstable, Massachusetts students are getting an extra day of summer vacation thanks to the sweltering heat.

School was scheduled to begin Wednesday for students in the town but has been postponed until Thursday because of the hot temperatures. All after-school activities were also canceled in wake of the unforgiving weather.

"I'm OK with it. They're just getting back into the routine," said Barnstable parent Angela DeMarco.

She said her family plan to make the most of one more summer afternoon.

"We'll head to the pool, get some swimming in," DeMarco said.

DeMarco's daughter Brianne was also given the hot temperatures in the building.

"In the classroom, it was 80, but in the hallway, it was cooler than the classroom," Brianne DeMarco said.

An excessive heat watch was first issued Monday for several New England areas and has since grown into a series of advisories and alerts around the northeast.

Temperatures swelled into the 90s late Monday and heat index values reached up to 105 Tuesday and is expected to do so again Wednesday. The harsh humidity and heat affected several other schools as well.

Lawrence School District and Haverhill schools announced early dismissals for their students in response to the increased temps. Schools in Greenfield, Walpole and Wilmington will also dismiss early on Wednesday, while schools in Bourne are closed.

Parents have expressed that the unexpected change in schedule has caused some problems.

"For other parents, it's going to be difficult for us who have to work or something," Dania Tejeda told NBC10 Boston.

For details on affected areas, click here.

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