Western Washington braces for heat as July sets world record



SEATTLE -- July 2019 is officially the warmest month the world has experienced since record-keeping began more than a century ago.

That's according to a European climate agency that made the announcement on Monday.

In parts of Western Washington temperatures are expected to reach into the 90s this week, which means many people are now trying to beat the heat.

Jeannette Cohen packed the kids up on Monday for a trip to Seattle Center and some time in the fountain.

Cohen’s grandson was wearing a hat and swimming clothes that kept the sun off his skin.

“It keeps him from getting sunburned,” she explained. “This is the epitome of Seattle summer.”

Sunburn isn’t the only concern either. Over at Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission in Pioneer Square, a hydration station was set up to help people cool down.

“When you give out a bottle of water in 60 or 70 degrees it's different than giving out a bottle at 91 degrees in Seattle,” said Brian Chandler, the Director of Outreach for Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission.

On Monday, the hydration station had more than 700 bottles of water on hand along with sunscreen and bug spray for people to grab as needed.

Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission also has a shower station set up for people who may not have a place to call home.

Officials say they typically hand out 1,200 meals a day to people in need, and their hydration station is ready to serve even higher numbers of people.

“We’ll see that population and more at the hydration system,” Chandler explained. “It’s not just folks living on the streets, it’s low-income, it's passerby’s, it's businessmen and women walking by.”

The hydration station is for anyone looking to cool down before the heat gets the best of them.