The city health officer issued a heat alert Thursday as temperatures could reach up to 102 degrees by Friday.

Long Beach will extend hours at local cooling centers to provide a safe space for residents who don’t have air conditioning or are vulnerable to heat waves.

Select city parks, Recreation and Marine Community Centers and all Long Beach Public Library locations are available as designated cooling centers during their normal business hours.

Hours have been extended at the following sites:

Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.)

  • Thursday, Sept. 5, through Friday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

El Dorado Park (2800 Studebaker Road)

  • Thursday, Sept. 5, through Friday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Silverado Park (1545 W. 31st St.)

  • Thursday, Sept. 5, through Friday, Sept. From 6, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

McBride Park – California Recreation Community Center (1550 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave.)

  • Thursday, Sept. 5, through Friday, Sept. 6, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Long Beach Senior Center (1150 E. 4th Street)

  • Thursday, Sept. 5, through Friday, Sept. 6, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Additionally, the Long Beach Multi-Service Center, located at 1301 W. 12th St., will extend hours to provide a respite from the heat for people experiencing homelessness (case management will only be offered during standard MSC hours). The extended hours are:

  • Thursday, Sept. 5 through Friday, Sept. 6, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Saturday, Sept. 7 through Sunday, Sept. 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A heat alert is issued when the weather forecast exceeds 95 degrees for two consecutive days or an overnight high of 80 degrees for two consecutive nights.

Forecasted highs for Long Beach are 97 degrees today (Sept. 5), 102 on Friday and 99 on Saturday, Sept. 7.

“Residents are strongly encouraged take extra precautions to avoid heat exposure and heat-related illness and seek out air-conditioned spaces during peak heat hours,” the statement said.

A cooling trend is expected to begin by Saturday, slowly lowering temperatures over the ensuing days, reaching normal levels by about Wednesday of next week, according to the National Weather Service.