Just in time: Frog Pond Spray Pool opens during Boston's first seasonal scorcher

It was a scorcher Tuesday in Boston, as temperatures soared to a record high for June of 102 degrees. And the steamy weather, just days into summer's official kickoff, sent residents in search of air conditioning, shade and places to swim or splash around.

More than 100 kids and families gathered at the Frog Pond Spray Pool opening on Boston Common, to wade, bat around beach balls and revel in a spraying spout of cool water.

Ten-year-old Isabella Rodriguez Mendoza and her little brother Noah of Dorchester were there with their mom. Isabella said she couldn't wait to get in.

"I'm going to just sit down and let the water come to me," she said.

Eleven-year-old Antonio Vasquez said he was feeling the high temps.

“I was sweating so much my armpit felt like it was going to come off,” he said.

But he and his younger brother, Josiah, cooled off by splashing each other.

“We’re just having fun out here. Look at all the sprinklers, the water," Josiah said. "This is heaven. Dreams do come true.”

Mayor Michelle Wu was on site for the opening — with baby Mira in tow in a tiny sundress and floppy hat— warning people to drink water and and stay safe in the heat.

"This is a very special day every year," Wu said, "But this year is a reminder of just how much, not only is water about fun, but it's also about safety, about staying cool, and the changes that we need to make as a city, as it gets hotter and hotter in Boston every summer."

Across the U.S., heat waves are occurring about three times more often than they did in the 1960s — about six per year compared to two per year. Boston was under a heat emergency Tuesday, through the end of the day.

After a countdown by park officials, the children and families stormed the water, sending up delighted squeals, running and splashing.

Miriam Spina, a 7-year-old from Boston, said she was playing in the water with her brother.

"I'm here because it was really hot," she said. Asked how long she thought they might linger at the Frog Pond, she said, "A long time. Maybe an hour or something."

The mayor touted 76 water features open across the city, including pools, splash pads and sprinklers.

Boston still has some older swimming pools under renovation, a problem it's been dealing with for at least two summers.

Josh Kraft, Wu's chief rival in the upcoming mayoral election, took aim at the number of pools still closed in some neighborhoods, blaming Wu for the delays.

This story was updated to reflect the temperature rising even higher Tuesday, to 102 degrees.