Heat wave scorches New York City with heat index climbing above 100 degrees
More scorching heat settled over New York City on Monday, with temperatures climbing into the mid-90s and the heat index expected to top out at 102 degrees Tuesday.
Monday’s expected high was 95 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The entire tri-state area was under a heat advisory, and parts of central and northeast New Jersey were under an excessive heat warning. Heat indexes across the region were expected to reach or exceed 100 degrees, the NWS warned.
“The heat and humidity will continue through Tuesday, and likely continues into Wednesday. It will remain quite uncomfortable,” the weather service wrote.
With the third extreme heat wave upon the city now, officials warned Monday that people should be mindful of how they’re feeling and seek help if something seems off.
“Over 300 New Yorkers die every year of heat-related deaths,” the city’s Health Department Commissioner Ashwin Vasan said Monday at a press conference. “Listen to your body. Your body is the best signal and arbiter of how the heat is affecting you.”
Symptoms he recommended New Yorkers look out for include cold and clammy skin, excessively hot skin, body temperature of 102 degrees or higher, slurred speech, nausea, a quickened pulse and feeling confused.
City beaches will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pools will open an hour later at 11 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. And New Yorkers can also seek relief from the sweltering heat in the city’s cooling centers and libraries.
“These are all signs that the heat’s having an effect on you. It’s crucial to get indoors, and, if needed, call 911 for help and get to a healthcare provider immediately,” he said.
Vasan appeared Monday with Mayor Adams, the city’s Emergency Management Commissioner Zach Iscol and other officials from the city, the MTA and Con Ed to alert the public to the dangers of the high heat, which Iscol said is expected to reach 102 degrees on the heat index on Tuesday and 100 degrees on Wednesday.
Aside from the potential health issues, they also warned of the strain that increased energy use is likely to put on the city’s power grid.
Jamie Brennan, a vice president with Con Edison, said the gird is “reliable” and “ready for the week ahead,” but that the increased use of power for air conditioning “will stress the electric grid.” He recommended that New Yorkers do their best to conserve energy in the days ahead to avoid power outages.
“High intense energy-use appliances such as laundry machines, dryers, dishwashers — if you can shift that use till after 10 p.m. or before 2 p.m. — that really helps to conserve and reduce the peak demand on the grid,” he said. “Every degree you can raise your thermostat, [it] saves you costs, reduces impact to the environment and further reduces stress on the grid.”
New York City has already suffered through two official heat waves this year, with temperatures topping 90 degrees on three straight days in mid-June and again in early July.
This week will almost surely bring the third, as temperatures hit 90 degrees Sunday, and Tuesday’s forecasted high is 97 degrees, according to AccuWeather. Even Wednesday is expected to reach 94 degrees, though a predicted afternoon thunderstorm will likely drop temperatures by nightfall that day.
Additionally, thunderstorms were possible Monday and Tuesday due to the high temperatures and sticky humidity. The National Weather Service predicted a 30% chance of rain Monday and a 20% chance of rain Tuesday, before that number jumps to 60% on Wednesday.
According to city data, 350 New Yorkers died prematurely last year from heat-related causes.
“It is hard to believe, but extreme heat kills more people than extreme weather emergencies,” Mayor Adams said in a social media video on Saturday. “So, we want you to be focused. Number one, if you are experiencing heat exhaustion, get in a cool place. Get out of the sun.”
