The New York City medical examiner says a 78-year-old man died of heat exposure on the sixth day of last week's punishing heat wave.
The medical examiner's office says hyperthermia caused the Brooklyn man's death on Friday. The National Weather Service says the air temperature reached 96 degrees in Central Park that day, but the humidity made it feel like the triple digits.
It wasn't clear if the man suffered from any underlying health condition.
Forecasters called Friday the most dangerous day of the heat wave, which lasted a week and was the longest heat wave in more than a decade.
An excessive heat warning was in effect for the city, with officials warning that fatigue, sunstroke, muscle cramps, heat exhaustion or heatstroke were possible for those who spend time outdoors.
Con Edison said electricity usage reached an all-time high Friday in its service area.
The man's death marked the second heat-related fatality in the city this month. The medical examiner's office found a 57-year-old Staten Island man died of hyperthermia on July 8, when the temperature in the city reached 89 degrees. The three prior days had all seen temperatures above 90 degrees.
