After weeks of soggy Saturdays and rained-out plans, summer finally arrived and with a heat wave to prove it.

With temperatures soaring into the high 80s and not a raindrop in sight, beaches across Dartmouth filled with families eager to soak up the long-awaited sunshine. 

The National Weather Service, which issued an extreme heat warning for the area, says the high temperatures can lead to heat-related illness and recommends everyone drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors during this time. 

At Round Hill Beach on Sunday, June 22, the parking lot filled and the sand was a patchwork of beach towels, umbrellas and bright swimsuits darting toward the water.

“I like to make sandcastles,” said Amelia Foley, 6, of Dartmouth, sitting in the sand beside her older sister, 8-year-old Emma.

Amelia noted she and her sister were having a fun time playing in the water, but had an unexpected surprise.

“We felt something pinching our toes. They were like, ‘Pinch, pinch, pinch!’” she said, squealing in a high-pitched voice. “ I think it was like a crab.”

Emma was just happy to finally be at the beach after so many washed-out weekends. “It has not been summery,” she said, noting that the forecast had almost kept them home again, but this time, the sun stuck around.

Beachgoers tanned, played games, waded into the waves, built sandcastles and chatted with friends, reveling in a kind of summer day that has been rare so far this season.

Apponagansett Beach offered a quieter but no less joyful escape. A few families stretched out across the smaller shoreline, some grabbing ice cream from The Bucket or dipping their toes in the bay.

Six-year-old Joshua Britto of Acushnet said he came to cool off in the water, but the real draw were the crabs peaking out from the sand. And according to Britto, there were a lot of them.

Two-year-old Raelyn of Dartmouth was just as fascinated, her mom Rachel Costa saying this is the first summer her daughter is old enough to fully enjoy the beach.

“She loves the water and the sand,” Costa said. “She loves this.”

Costa said the calmer waters and smaller crowds at Apponagansett make it their go-to spot. “It’s usually pretty quiet and there’s no waves normally like Round Hill,” she added.

Maureen and Michael Charlebois of Attleboro, who have been coming to Apponagansett for the last two decades, said the combination of peace, convenience and nostalgia keeps them coming back.

“I’m originally from the Fairhaven area and this is my little secret getaway,” Maureen said. “When my kids were little, it was really easy to watch them and it’s always calm on this side of the water.”

Now, they appreciate the shady spots, the restrooms, the food nearby and the fact that the beach was about six degrees cooler than their hometown during the heat wave.

“Doesn’t get better,” Maureen said.