PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Who stirred things up? heat in Philadelphia? That’s what many people in Center City wanted to know Friday, as many were caught off guard by temperatures soaring into the 90s.
“I woke up hot! And somehow we ended up here,” said Karizma Lametry of West Philadelphia.
Lametry took her daughter to Love Park on Friday to run a few laps of the city’s splash pad and waterfall, hoping to beat the early summer heat.
“We love it. It’s beautiful here, the music is blasting, so it’s a good day,” Lametry said.
They were joined by dozens of other families with the same idea. Among them were the Scheers who were visiting from San Diego. Stephen Scheer was born and raised in Bucks County and even had his two daughters sing the Eagles fight song. But even living in Southern California didn’t prepare them for this heat.
“It’s 75 degrees and sunny in San Diego. It’s a little warm, but the girls love it,” Scheer said.
He watched as his daughters went in and out of the water at Love Park, joining the herd of other children looking for some calm. And that water was so tempting that even some adults couldn’t resist.
“They put the fountain here. I can bring my daughter. She is playing and having fun while I can sell my art. And I can play here and have fun too,” said Alina Amador, a local artist. who moved to Philadelphia from Florida earlier this year.
The water wasn’t the only attraction at Love Park on Friday afternoon. There were many people lining up to play ping pong on the public tables.
Malik and Michael were engaged in a very intense match, almost as intense as the early summer sun.
“Yes, I’m ready to jump in the water,” said Michael, taking off his shirt as the temperature rose.
But Friday’s heat is just a precursor to a wave of 90s we expect in the region next week. While many people may have been caught off guard by the scorching Friday, they will be ready next time.
“Maybe you’ll see me here a lot more next week,” Lametry said.
However, Michael said he’s not so sure he’ll hit the ping pong tables when the heat returns.
“I don’t know if I’m getting a little old, so I don’t know if I can handle it,” Michael said.
