As if living through a pandemic during the summer in NYC wasn't enough to bear, the ongoing scorching heat wave is getting even hotter, with temperatures expected to feel like up to 101 degrees.
A heat advisory will be in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday in NYC due to the dangerously hot weather, according to the National Weather Service.
The hot weather is more than just an off-chance scorching summer. The National Climate Assessment recently reclassified NYC as a "humid subtropical climate zone," rather than a humid continental climate. The NY Times reports, "The classification requires that summers average above 72 degrees Fahrenheit—which New York’s have had since 1927—and for winter months to stay above 27 degrees Fahrenheit, on average. The city has met that requirement for the last five years, despite the occasional cold snap. And the winters are only getting warmer."
NYC is already seeing earlier springs, Southern plant species thriving, and heavier rain, as temperatures are rising due to the worsening climate crisis.
"I want everyone to recognize—take this heat situation seriously," Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a news conference Monday morning. "People should not be out in the heat any longer than they have to be."
The city has set up 200 cooling centers with social distancing in effect, 250 misting centers, 300 open hydrants with spray caps, 650 spray showers in various parks, and 16 "cool streets," the mayor said Monday.
You can find a cooling center here.
Last week, Con Edison asked about 116,000 customers in Queens not to use their air conditioners or other energy-intensive appliances like microwaves, washers, and dryers, until repairs are made to "maintain reliability" of the power grid. Approximately 2,500 Con Ed customers lost power last week during the heat wave, and several hundred more were in the dark in Borough Park.
As many New Yorkers continue to stay at home more often due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some energy experts fear the all-day demand could lead to brownouts and blackouts in residential neighborhoods—especially during summertime when residents are blasting the air conditioning to stay cool.
"That's going to stress the grid," energy consultant Rory Christian told us earlier this month.
As of Monday morning, about 48 customers were out of power, Con Ed's outages map shows. All but one customer's power was expected to be restored by mid-afternoon.
