CENTRAL PARK — New Yorkers who stayed put for the Fourth of July got one scorcher of a weekend.
The National Weather Service even issued a heat advisory for the city, effective until 8 p.m. Sunday.
Temperatures soared to 96 degrees on Saturday, peaking at 1:25 p.m., and coupled with the high humidity, forecasters predicted the real-feel to be more like 102 degrees. On Sunday, with continued humidity, the heat index rose to 105 degrees, with highs hovering in the mid-90s.
Sunday afternoon, the Office of Emergency Management announced that cooling center hours would be extended through the day on Monday to provide relief for those without air conditioning, and the city urged residents to check on elderly neighbors.
Sweltering in Carroll Park, a Clinton Hill resident said she was trying to stay in the shade Saturday as she read her book.
"I'm used to dry heat," said Kate Eastman, who is originally from California. Eastman, who works at La Slowteria in Carroll Gardens, said the restaurant had been much less busy than usual over the weekend because people were staying in.
Some folks, like Léa and Ila, both 8, found a way to cash in on the heat, by setting up shop selling lemonade at the entrance of Cobble Hill Park on Saturday afternoon.
Within an hour and a half, they had sold two pitchers, as well as one of watermelon juice.Jessica Rivera, 19, a vendor of Central Park maps in the park, said Friday she expected to see fewer visitors over the weekend.
"The majority of people are at the beach," she said.
Others, like Upper West Side resident Tania Babic, 38, said they planned to stay closer to home.
"I do all my errands in the morning, and then stay home and re-emerge in the evening," Babic said. "I'm lucky I have a terrace I can use during the evenings. It's too hot already."
The NWS warned the heat can be potentially dangerous, particularly for the elderly. People should avoid exerting themselves, especially during peak afternoon hours, and stay in air-conditioned rooms when possible.
“I’m planning to stay at home as much as I can and avoid the sun. Sun is really bad for me,” due to her diabetes and high blood pressure, said Dila Gega, 63, who lives in Briarwood. “But whenever I go out, I wear sunglasses and a hat and I carry an umbrella to protect my skin.”
NYC’s Office of Emergency Management has also opened its cooling centers for the weekend.
For more local weather updates, visit DNAinfo’s weather page.
