🌡️☀️ New York City is preparing for unseasonably hot conditions today, Tuesday, May 19, with heat index values forecast to reach as high as 96°F in parts of the Bronx, northern Manhattan, and Staten Island.
⚠️ The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory from 11 AM today through 8 PM Wednesday, May 20. An Air Quality Health Advisory is also in effect through 11 PM tonight due to ozone, with elevated air quality indices expected to continue through Wednesday.
🕘 What to expect today, hour by hour:
🌤️ 8 AM to 10 AM: Temperatures rise from 77°F to 85°F, with heat index values up to 86°F.
🥵 11 AM to 1 PM: Temperatures climb from 89°F to 95°F, with heat index values reaching 96°F.
🔥 2 PM to 6 PM: Peak heat. Temperatures hold near 95°F, with heat index values around 95°F to 96°F.
🌆 7 PM to 9 PM: Conditions remain hot, with temperatures falling from 92°F to 87°F.
🌙 10 PM to 11 PM: A warm evening continues, with temperatures in the mid 80s.
🏙️ In response, NYC Emergency Management has activated the city’s Heat Emergency Plan.
@NYCDHS is declaring a Code Red for Homeless Outreach, intensifying around-the-clock engagement with New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Hundreds of NYC Cooling Centers will be open across the five boroughs.
📍 Find your nearest Cooling Center, including pet-friendly and accessible locations, on the city’s Cool Options Map:
finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenter…
❄️ If you do not have access to air conditioning, visit a NYC Cool Option. Cool Options include private places like a friend or family member’s home, a café, a museum, or a mall, as well as public places like official NYC Cooling Centers, including libraries and other air-conditioned spaces.
👵👶🧑⚕️👷 People most at risk include older adults, infants, people with health conditions, outdoor workers, people who live alone, and anyone without air conditioning.
✅ Protect yourself and others:
💧 Stay hydrated.
❄️ Use air conditioning when indoors, or go to an air-conditioned place.
🚶 Limit strenuous outdoor activity between 11 AM and 4 PM.
📞 Check on older adults, neighbors with chronic health conditions, and those without air conditioning.
🚗 Never leave children or pets in a vehicle.
🔌 Help conserve power:
🌡️ Set air conditioners to 78°F or the highest comfortable temperature.
🌀 Use fans with air conditioning to help cool rooms more efficiently.
🪟 Close blinds, shades, and curtains to keep rooms cooler.
🧺 Avoid using large appliances like washers, dryers, dishwashers, and ovens during peak heat hours.
💡 Turn off lights, electronics, and appliances when not in use.
🔋 Charge phones, medical devices, and backup batteries before peak heat if possible.
🌫️ Air quality guidance:
nyc.gov/airquality
☀️ Heat safety guidance:
nyc.gov/beattheheat