An extreme heat warning is in effect for the entire New York City area ahead of a heat wave set to bring intense and dangerous temperatures leading into the Fourth of July weekend.
Actual temperatures are expected to reach 100 degrees on Thursday and Friday. Records show that hasn’t happened in Central Park since July 2012.
Humidity will push “feels like” temps into the 105-110 range or higher.
The warning is issued when extremely dangerous heat conditions are expected or occurring. People should be in air-conditioned spaces as much as possible.
The heat index, which factors in humidity and is included on many weather forecasts, provides a sense of how hot it really feels — and this week’s heat indexes will be dangerous, if not deadly, to people with prolonged exposure or undergoing strenuous activity.
The heat will begin to intensify Wednesday, when the warning takes effect, though Thursday and Friday will probably be the hottest days.
A watch is in place for southern Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island. Weather alerts may expand. Check the latest ones for your neighborhood here. Pop-up thunderstorms are also possible through the week.
What is a heat dome?
A large dome of high pressure will extend from Texas and Florida north to the Great Lakes and Northeast. That dome promotes stable air, lots of sunshine, and traps heat near the ground. The impacts will be felt well into the weekend, including on the Fourth of July.
The air will feel tropical, and that humidity will send the heat index into the triple digits. Thursday and Friday will probably be the most extreme days, with only slight improvements by Saturday, the July Fourth holiday.
The heat will be dangerous for anyone with outdoor plans. Along with the heat on July Fourth, we also have a chance for storms that could impact your holiday plans.
To protect yourself, stay hydrated throughout the week, dress in light, breathable clothing, and don’t spend much time outside. An air-conditioned space is your best solution, but if you must be outside, seek shade and keep your activity level to a minimum.
If you or someone around you is showing signs of heat exhaustion, get to a cool place, hydrate, and take steps to cool your body temperature. For potentially life-threatening heat stroke symptoms, call 911 immediately for emergency treatment.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Monday activated a heat emergency plan that includes using more than a dozen mobile units called COOL vans to check on vulnerable people and provide medical care, water, and supplies, such as electrolytes and sunscreen. The vans can also bring people to cooling centers across the city.
Hundreds of cooling centers will be activated across the five boroughs, with LinkNYC kiosks providing walking directions to the nearest centers within a 10-minute walk. The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will also expand pop-up cooling centers that have cold water, misting fans and cooling towers for outdoor workers.
“We need every New Yorker to take this deadly heat seriously. Stay inside, look out for your neighbors, drink plenty of water and watch out for signs of heat exhaustion such as confusion, nausea and trouble breathing,” Mamdani said in a statement.
He is set to hold a news briefing on the extreme heat Tuesday afternoon.
The local weather concerns come as heat wave in France is overwhelming mortuaries in Paris and leaving families in distress. Deaths are in the thousands.
