One person has died in the Big Apple’s longest heat wave in nine years.
The city medical examiner’s office said Saturday that one person succumbed to heat exposure as New York City sweltered in its fifth straight day in the 1990s.
The unidentified victim also suffered from heart disease and pulmonary emphysema, according to the ME office, which did not provide further details.
The thermometer peaked at 94 degrees Saturday afternoon in Central Park, with “real” temperatures around 98 degrees. The dangerous heat is expected to climb even higher on Sunday.
The maximum temperature on Sunday is expected to be 98 degrees, which would break the record of 97 degrees set in 2010.
With increased humidity, it will be between 100 and 106 degrees, said Fox Weather meteorologist Marissa Lautenbacher.
“It’s going to be swampy. A bit heavy,” Lautenbacher said. “The air is stuffy, making it difficult for people to cool off.”
Monday will again bring temperatures into the 90s, with the heat only breaking when the storms hit that night, Lautenbacher.
The extent of the scorching means it will likely be the first time since 2013 that the Big Apple has reached at least 90 degrees for seven straight days.
On Tuesday, the high is expected to reach a mild 87.
Con Edison said power consumption reached 10,059 megawatts as of 2 p.m. Saturday, well below the utility’s record 13,322 megawatts set during the 2013 heat wave. Some 60 New Town customers York were experiencing heat-related power outages mid-afternoon, the utility said.
NYCHA said it had generators at Ingersoll homes in Brooklyn to deal with a heat-related elevator outage.
An air quality health advisory was in effect Saturday and Sunday and a heat advisory was not due to expire until 8 p.m. Sunday.
Heat warnings and advisories were in place across the country this weekend, affecting more than 77 million Americans. Europeans were also sweltering in extreme heat and wildfires broke out in a tourist destination in Greece on Saturday.
Dr. Elan Levy, medical director of Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan, said it’s best to avoid going outside during the hottest hours of the day and anyone with symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, confusion. excessive sweating and muscle cramps should go to a cool place. The city operates cooling centers at libraries, senior centers, NYCHA facilities, and community centers in all five boroughs.
“If your symptoms don’t improve after removing yourself from a hot environment, you may want to see a doctor,” Levy said.
Scorching temperatures led many New Yorkers to flock to the beach on Saturday, only to be told to get out of the water at Rockaway Beach after mid-afternoon shark sightings.
“We will reopen the beach when it is safe to do so”, the Parks Department tweeted at 2:14 p.m.
The shark sightings came just as the new Rockaway Rocket express ferry service began from Lower Manhattan to the beach.
“Insupportable. I can’t wait for spring,” Bronx resident Tatianna Rodriguez, 35, said before biting into an ice cream bar at a crowded Jacob Riis Park in the Rockaways on Sunday.
Shanice London, 27, a resident of Harlem, came to see Jacob Riis on Saturday but said she had no plans to go out on Sunday at all.
“Brutal. It’s very brutal. You need to be able to hydrate yourself and focus on cool thoughts. Cool energy to go with the heat,” London said of the heat as he sat on a water cooler and used a hand-held fan before hitting the sand.
Isabelle Shen, 27, a resident of Manhattan, sat on the beach like a hermit crab with a towel covering her face and body.
“Why do I have a towel over my head? Because it’s hot and that’s the best way to stay cool,” she said. “My plan for tomorrow is to stay indoors. I’m an avid climber, so I’ll just go to the gym.
Rei Tran, 26, a West Village resident, said she had come up with a strategy to take her 7-year-old Jack Russell terrier outside to stay cool.
“I’m waiting for a cloud to walk my dog. I retire to my house when the cloud goes away and the sun comes back,” said Tran, who was at Jacob Riis on Saturday under an umbrella. She noted that the dog was in a better position as she was at home in the air conditioning.
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