Temperatures in New York City are expected to reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) by Thursday, with a heat index between 105 and 110 degrees, unusually hot for the city. Friday is expected to be just as sweltering. At a press conference on Tuesday, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani said these are extremely dangerous conditions that will affect every part of the city.
New York's Heat Emergency Playbook
Most major cities now maintain heat emergency plans that involve setting up cooling centers, reaching out to vulnerable populations, and issuing emergency alerts. As heat waves grow more intense and frequent with a warming planet, a growing number of cities are drafting and rolling out these kinds of plans to keep residents safe. This year, New York City first activated its heat emergency plan on May 19, the earliest it has ever done so, after a severe spring heat wave pushed temperatures past 90 degrees across the Northeast. The city has now activated that same plan again ahead of this latest heat wave.
Over 650 Cooling Stations and New Cooling Vans
According to Christinia Farrell, commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Department, the plan will put more than 650 cooling stations into operation, including libraries, recreation centers, and Petco stores, along with some extra nontraditional cooling stations such as government buildings. Farrell says excessive heat warnings are becoming more common in New York. The Mamdani administration is also deploying cooling vans across the city that will conduct wellness checks and provide medical care, water, electrolytes, and sunscreen, as well as transportation to cooling centers or health care facilities. LinkNYC kiosks, which replaced the city's old pay phones, will now be programmed to display walking directions to the nearest cooling center, another new initiative under Mamdani.
Easing Grid Strain and Reaching the Unhoused
To help the power grid cope with rising residential cooling demand, business owners are being asked to set their thermostats to 78 degrees, the level the Department of Energy recommends during peak summer months. Workers with the city's Department of Social Services will carry out in-person outreach to unhoused people. Under the heat plan, individuals who need short-term housing will not be required to go through the typical shelter intake procedure.
Philadelphia Braces for Heat During a World Cup Match
Philadelphia is also bracing for high heat. The city, which is hosting a World Cup match on July 4, has activated its own heat emergency plan and moved the hours of its FIFA Fan Festival to the evening. Fans will have access to cooling tents, free water refill stations, shaded areas, and multiple medical stations. Even so, the match between Paraguay and France is set to kick off at 5 pm ET, when the combination of heat and humidity is forecast to make it feel well above 100 degrees.
A Rising Death Toll Tied to Extreme Heat
The risk of heat-related death and illness is expected to keep climbing as extreme heat events become more frequent and severe. A recent Yale University study found that deaths associated with high temperatures nearly doubled in the US over the past two decades, rising from an annual average of 2,670 between 2000 and 2009 to more than 4,000 between 2010 and 2020. Most heat-related deaths occur indoors, after prolonged exposure to heat without air-conditioning.
Hospitals Gear Up for More Heat Patients
New York emergency departments say they are preparing to handle an increase in patients with acute heat illnesses in the coming days. Erik Blutinger, an emergency medicine physician at Mount Sinai Queens, says the hospital is stocking up on towels, fans, and other supplies to make sure patients with heat sickness can be adequately treated. He says it is important for people to recognize the symptoms of heat-related illness so they can seek treatment as soon as possible.
Telling Heat Exhaustion Apart From Heat Stroke
Heat exhaustion can cause excessive sweating, nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, and weakness. It can often be managed outside the hospital with hydration and by cooling the body down, but it sometimes progresses into heat stroke, a far more severe and potentially life-threatening condition. People with heat stroke have dry, hot skin and a rapid pulse, and they may become confused, slur their speech, or lose consciousness. Reed Caldwell, chief of service at Tisch Hospital's emergency department, part of NYU Langone Health, says that anybody who has an altered mental status and is hot is showing a sign that they may be critically ill.
How Doctors Cool Down Severe Cases
When a person's body temperature climbs to a dangerous level, clinicians mimic sweating using a technique called evaporative cooling, which involves stripping away clothing, misting the patient's skin with water, and fanning them continuously. Cold water immersion and even ice-filled body bags can serve the same purpose. Excessive heat also worsens heart conditions, lung disease, and kidney problems, making people with chronic diseases more vulnerable to severe heat sickness. Babies and older adults face higher risk too, since their bodies are less efficient at regulating temperature.
Doctors' Advice for Staying Safe
Prevention is key. Caldwell says it's important that everyone drink water before they are thirsty. Sunscreen matters too, he says, since sunburns make the skin feel hotter and pull fluid from other parts of the body, which can lead to dehydration. Limiting alcohol before heading out into the heat is also a good idea, since alcohol causes dehydration, advice that's particularly relevant on a holiday and during World Cup matches, both of which come with plenty of day drinking. Caldwell says there's great value in pre-hydration, and even greater value in not being dehydrated before you go somewhere.
