The weather's packing more than just heat today; a variety of weather alerts, including thunderstorm and flood warnings as well as heat advisories, have been declared.
With a projected high of 95 to 100 degrees today, the city has opened cooling centers throughout the five boroughs. Due to the heat and humidity, the National Weather Service has declared an extreme heat weather advisory for the tri-state area between 11 am and 7 pm today.
A severe thunderstorm watch has also been put into effect until 9 pm for much of the tri-state area, including all five boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk, Middlesex, Passaic, Bergen, Hudson, Essex, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Westchester and Fairfield counties.
Flood advisories have been declared in NJ for Bergen and Passaic, in NY for Westchester, Putnam and Rockland, and Fairfield County in CT.
In addition, an Air Quality Health Advisory has been declared for ozone pollution today between 11 am and 10 pm by the Departments of Environmental Conservation and of Health.
In New Jersey, temperatures are expected to drop to only approximately 70 degrees tonight amid possible thundershowers. Tomorrow's temperatures, while not quite as high as today's, will still be brutal, NJ.com forecasts.
Ozone is a major component of smog and can gather at ground level in summer heat, the Department of Environmental Conservation advises. People working or exercising outside or those with asthma or other respiratory conditions should try to avoid strenuous out-of-doors activity, particularly from afternoon to early evening. Due to the cooler temperatures, ozone levels generally decrease at night.
Local
Cooling centers are public places where air conditioning is available, such as Department for the Aging senior centers and Salvation Army community centers. A full list can be found here, or you can call 311 (TTY: 212 504 4115). To reach the city's Air Quality Hotline, call: 1-800-535-1345.
Heat advisories are in place in Queens and Staten Island.
