It was so hot in New York City on Wednesday, even frozen treat peddler Edgar Alberto Dossman was complaining about the heat. The street vendor said people were foregoing his ice cream and Italian ices, instead choosing liquids.
"When there are days so supremely hot like today, people prefer liquid because the sweetness makes you more thirsty," said the 75-year-old who hocks his icy goods on Roosevelt Avenue in the Jackson Heights section of Queens.
The National Weather Service said it was about 92 degrees in Central Park on Wednesday afternoon. But it felt a few degrees warmer with the humidity. The weather service has issued a heat advisory until 8 p.m. Thursday, saying temperatures could spike into the upper 90s.
David Stark, a meteorologist with the weather service, said no records had been broken in the city yet. "It really is not unusual to see temperatures like this at the beginning of June," he said.
The high temperatures will combine with a rise in the humidity level, putting the heat index at or a little higher than 100 degrees by Thursday afternoon.
The New York City Office of Emergency Management and the Department of Health are warning New Yorkers to take precautions.
Cooling centers will be open in all five boroughs on Wednesday and Thursday. New Yorkers can call 311 or visit the city's online Cooling Center Finder by clicking here to find the nearest center.
Jersey City and Union City in New Jersey were also establishing cooling centers.
Some New Jersey schools scheduled early dismissals on Wednesday with more planning to do the same on Thursday.
For a list of school closings, click here.
At Malboro's Defino Elementary School, first grade teacher Shelby Oxnam says fans were whirling and kids were asking for ice.
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"It's one of the hottest classrooms in the school," she said. "I'm dressed light, got my hair up, I'm patting my face every few seconds," she explained.
There remains a chance for scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms, primarily west of the metro area, both Wednesday and Thursday.
By Friday, a cold front will slip south of the area, allowing temperatures to slip back into the 80s. That cooler front could trigger some thunderstorms late Thursday afternoon and evening.
The heat should subside over the weekend with slightly cooler air pushing down from the north with high temperatures only in the 70s to near 80-degree mark for both Saturday and Sunday.
A few scattered showers or thunderstorms are possible both weekend days, but most of the time it will not be raining, according to current weather models.
As always, check back with NBC New York for the latest weather information, forecasts and news you need to know.
