June wasted no time delivering on sunny, dry, and warm weather.
The heat will peak Thursday, when we expect New York City’s first 90-degree day of the season, a temperature we have not seen since last August.
Climatologically, Central Park gets its first 90-degree day around May 28. But the exceptionally chilly end to May kept temperatures from getting anywhere near 80, let alone 90. So the first 90-degree day should happen about a week late.
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Temperatures topped 80 degrees Wednesday, with some areas in inland New Jersey and New York narrowing in on 90. By Thursday, those 90 degree readings make it to the city.
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SIGN UP If you love heat and the first half of this week wasn’t feeling enough like summer to you, the second half certainly will.
It’s not just the summer temperatures we’re facing; it is the summer humidity, too. By Thursday, it starts to feel uncomfortable — and with the air temperature already at 90, this may be a day to spend in the air conditioning. Our bodies have not yet acclimated to the summer heat, so you’ll want to take it easy.
If you want or need to be outside, consider taking a trip down the shore or out to Long Island to escape the brutal heat. Temperatures will be a good 10+ degrees cooler in coastal spots. Just don’t forget the SPF if you’re going to be outside; the sun is strong this time of year and UV indices are going to be high on Thursday.
While all of this heat and sunshine delivers our first real dose of summer, it also delivers some reduced air quality.
On hot and sunny days, especially in urban areas, that heat and sunlight react chemically with pollutants in our air to form ground level ozone, which can be very irritating to those with respiratory issues and other underlying health conditions. As such, an Air Quality Alert was issued for Wednesday.
We’ll watch to see if the Air Quality Alert expands into Thursday for parts of Long Island, the Hudson Valley and Connecticut. These areas are expected to have ground level ozone that could be unhealthy for sensitive groups.
But air quality in the city should be back to the “moderate” category Thursday, meaning that most people in NYC, even those with respiratory issues, will be unbothered by the level of pollution; you will be able to go about your day as normal.
And if you’ve been hearing about wildfire smoke impacting our air quality, that is only partly true. Yes, there is some smoke in our atmosphere that came from Canadian wildfires, but it is not the culprit behind our reduced air quality. The only real impact you will notice from the wildfire smoke is a haziness in what would otherwise be clear, blue skies.
So if you love the summer heat, be sure to get outside and enjoy these next few days. Showers are heading our way by the end of the week. This will drop temperatures back down to reality, at least for a couple days heading into the start of next week.
