NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- The New York City area will swelter most of the week in "extreme" heat and humidity, with temps forecast to surge into the 90s and RealFeels to top 100 degrees.
The brutal and dangerous stretch will mark the first heat wave of the year for NYC, just in time for the official start of summer on Thursday. NYC Emergency Management activated the city's Heat Emergency Plan on Monday to prepare.
NYC has a map of cooling centers (that will open Tuesday), as well as a map of places to hydrate, refresh and stay in the shade. Visit nyc.gov/beattheheat, or call 311, for more info. (Note: NYC outdoor pools don't open until June 27.)
"The duration of this heat wave is notable and potentially the longest experienced in decades for some locations," the National Weather Service said as it warned of an "extreme" heat risk throughout much of the Midwest and Northeast, including all five boroughs.
According to AccuWeather, the heat and humidity will begin to ramp up Monday, with the most dangerous temps expected by Thursday. Air quality is also expected to deteriorate.
The high in Midtown will be 85 degrees on Monday; 88 on Tuesday; 90 on Wednesday; 94 on Thursday; 94 on Friday; and 92 on Saturday.
The humidity will make it feel near or at 100 degrees during the afternoon hours starting on Tuesday and lasting through the weekend.
There will be little relief from the heat—no showers or thunderstorms are currently in the forecast this week, and lows aren't expected to dip below 70 degrees at night.
Gov. Kathy Hochul warned temps were set to reach record highs in some parts of the state. "We must be cognizant to the fact that heat is the number one cause of death for weather-related fatalities here in the U.S.," the governor said Sunday.
Mayor Eric Adams held a news conference Monday from the Emergency Management Headquarters in Brooklyn, where he said the National Weather Service was expected to issue a Heat Advisory for NYC during the "peak heat" on Thursday and Friday. "This is extremely hot for June," the mayor said. "New Yorkers shouldn't underestimate the heat."
Adams said City Hall was coordinating with utility companies like Con Edison and PSEG Long Island as the city monitors for blackouts with the electrical grid stressed by high air conditioner use.
The heat is expected to subside somewhat starting Monday, with highs in the upper 80s most of next week.