by Susan Fried

After one of the hottest months of July on record in Seattle, August was supposed to be a little cooler. But the first 10 days remained oppressively hot, forcing Seattlites to seek out ways to escape the heat. Fortunately Seattle is surrounded by water and people in the South End found lots of places to access Lake Washington or a local park with a water feature.

After a brief break, the heat is due to return reaching the low 90s Tuesday. If you’re not near a lake and are looking for a place to cool off, Seattle Public Libraries have air conditioning and so do some of the local Senior centers. The city of Seattle recommended a number of places where people could cool off, which will be helpful as temperatures continue to reach the mid-to-high 80s for the next week.

All photos by Susan Fried.