Heat Wave

June 25, 2025

Central Park hit hottest temperature since 2012

New York City recorded its hottest day in more than a decade on Tuesday, with temperatures in Central Park hitting 99 degrees for the first time since 2012. According to the New York Times, the thermometer at Belvedere Castle—the park's official weather station—reached the mark just before 1:30 p.m., marking the hottest temperature reading since July 18, 2012. The last time Central Park came close was June 30, 2021, when it hit 98 degrees.
Learn more
June 20, 2025

During NYC’s heat wave, find a cooling center near you

Appropriately kicking off summer, New York City's first heat wave has arrived. According to the National Weather Service, high heat and humidity are likely starting Sunday through Wednesday, with the heat idex ranging from 100 to 105 across most of the region. The city will open more than 500 cooling centers across the five boroughs on Sunday, providing air-conditioned public spaces for New Yorkers to stay safe from the extreme heat. The interactive "cool options" map displays both indoor cooling centers and outdoor options, like playgrounds with spray showers and water features.
stay cool, nYC!
June 18, 2024

NYC opens 500 cooling centers during heat wave

New York City's first heat wave of the season is here. The city's Emergency Management Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Monday issued an official heat warning, with temperatures expected to exceed 90 degrees and peak later this week. To give New Yorkers a place to cool off and rest amidst the scorching weather, the city has made it easy to locate hundreds of cooling centers across the five boroughs with an interactive map.
find out where to keep cool
July 26, 2023

8 ways to stay cool (and safe) during NYC’s heat wave

Another heat wave is here. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for New York City starting this week, with high heat and humidity leading to real-feel temperatures near or exceeding 100 degrees Monday through Wednesday. Staying cool on a hot day is no joke, as heat contributes to the deaths of roughly 350 New Yorkers each year. Ahead, find some ways to beat the heat, from swimming in one of the city's free outdoor pools to running through spray showers and sprinklers at your local park.
Beat the heat
July 19, 2019

As this weekend’s heat wave sweeps over the city, here are some ways to beat the heat

After a toasty week, the city's first heatwave of the year is about to get even hotter, with Friday’s expected heat index reaching 98 degrees and as high as 109 degrees over the weekend. The city is taking precautions to keep residents safe as the temperatures continue to heat up. Mayor Bill de Blasio declared an official heat emergency and directed office buildings and residents to set their AC to 78 degrees in order to prevent another power outage. The city's annual Triathlon, originally scheduled to take place on Sunday, was just canceled for the first time in its history. While the best advice is still to stay indoors as much as possible, out of the sun, and well hydrated, there are some ways to beat the heat in the city, all for free.
More info
July 16, 2019

Con Ed warns of potential blackouts from impending NYC heat wave

The most recent intel on Saturday's power outage that left the country's densest urban area dark from 72nd Street south to 30th Street is that a burning 13,000-volt cable at a substation near West 65th Street was the culprit, according to the New York Times. Consolidated Edison said Monday that the burning cable shut down the flow of electricity to more than 72,000 Midtown Manhattan customers. And while the blackout wasn't a direct result of an overtaxed grid, the New York Post reports, Con Ed warned Monday that mind-melting temperatures in the 90s expected this weekend–Saturday's 97 degrees will feel like 106–could lead to service outages.
What havoc will the heat wreak