Wet hot East Village summer

Photos by Stacie Joy

It's Wednesday, and even after sunset, the heat and humidity remain oppressive. 

On Avenue A, between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place along Tompkins Square Park, an open hydrant gushes into the street — though it's unclear who uncapped it.

Residents and passersby seize the chance to cool off, shedding layers to stand in the powerful spray...

Too hot to handle: Fire truck sinks into this Lower East Side street

Photos by John Huntington 

From today on Eldridge at Grand on the Lower East Side... in the stifling heat, the front tire of a truck from Engine Company 9 on Canal Street sank into the street...

Officials called it a sinkhole... the truck was eventually safely removed ...

Tuesday's parting shot

Photo by Stacie Joy

Per AccuWeather: 

In New York City, the temperature fell just shy of hitting triple digits, but the high of 99 degrees was still enough to best the previous daily record for the date, surpassing the high of 96 degrees set on June 24, 1888. 

Leave a comment if you recall that day's heatwave!

A cold front is expected to move through the area on Thursday and Friday, with afternoon high temperatures in the 70s. (Please do not complain that it's too cold for June.)

Weathering the heatwave

The heatwave continues in the NYC metropolitan area (and the Northeast U.S.).  

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory until 8 tonight, with the heat index expected to hit 100 in the city. 

Cooling centers are open across the city, including today, though the options are limited with the usual Sunday closure of the Tompkins Square and Ottendorfer library branches. You can find cooling centers via this link. (Most of the options are for senior residents.)

There are also 45 NYC public schools open today for residents, though the closest to the East Village are on Division and Monroe streets. Find the list here. 

A city news bulletin notes: "New Yorkers should also take advantage of additional cool options such as museums, movie theaters, coffee shops, or a neighbor, friend, or family member's home."

Another viable option is a shopping trip to Key Food on Avenue A and Fourth Street, where the temps seem to be in the single digits. 

Meanwhile, thunderstorms may happen later this afternoon and early evening...

Good Morning! Another day of heat and humidity and afternoon strong to severe thunderstorms for the entire area. Stay weather aware today, and check https://t.co/wTqdsomHTB for updates throughout the day. #NYWx #CTWx #NJWx pic.twitter.com/rtC8wYPvso

— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) June 23, 2024

Some relief is on the way...

Heat wave day #4 in NYC (longer in suburbs!) as heat, humidity & haze hold. Many weather alerts in place related to heat, air quality, & rip current risk but relief is coming! Front brings strong to severe storms second half of Sun. & leaves behind comfier conditions Mon. @abc7ny pic.twitter.com/lyI6kU9LLh

— Dani Beckstrom (@danibeckstrom) June 23, 2024

Heat Dome watch now in effect

Photo from Houston at Allen/First Avenue

The Heat Dome is upon us. 

NYC has activated its Heat Emergency Plan for the first time this year as NYC and other parts of the northeast may see record-setting temps in the days ahead as the heat index will top 100°F. 

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather advisory for the area.

🌞Did you know a heat wave is defined as 3 or more consecutive days of 90°F or higher. (heat index not factored in).
🌞 Last NYC heat wave: Sep 5-8, 2023
🌞The longest NYC heat wave occurred Aug 24-Sep 4, 1953
🌞There has never been a recorded 6+ day heat wave in NYC in June. pic.twitter.com/Q6k6blnu8G

— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) June 17, 2024

Per the city: 

High heat is a silent killer, posing a disproportionate threat to our most vulnerable residents: adults aged 60 and older, young children, and those with pre-existing health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, mental health conditions, or cognitive impairment. Air conditioning is the best way to stay safe and healthy when it is hot outside, but some people at risk of heat illness do not have or do not turn on an air conditioner. 

The city has a map of outdoor cooling options (including spray showers and drinking fountains) at Cool It! NYC and a Cool Options map. (The cooling centers are open as of today.)

There are just a few local cooling center options, including (the Tompkins Square and Ottendorfer library branches are also options)...

• Polish and Slavic Center, Inc. Older Adult Center 

103 E. Seventh St. 

9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday

• Meltzer Social Club, Older Adult Center

94 E. First St. 

8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday

 

• Educational Alliance Sirovich, Older Adult Center

331 E. 12th St. 

8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday

Wednesday's parting shot

Photo by Derek Berg 

Cooling off on Ninth Street at First Avenue. 

About this weather, per PIX11: 

The heat wave should become official on Thursday as temperatures rise in the lower 90s. In the afternoon, a frontal boundary will start to move closer to the region and bring the chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Some storms could end up being on the severe side with damaging winds and hail. 

The temperatures back off on Friday, with highs expected in the mid-80s. While it will not be as warm, it will still be humid. In the afternoon and evening, another round of showers and thunderstorms will develop as the front will remain near the region.

Where to cool off when the heat is on

An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect for NYC today ... with a triple-digit heat index expected. 

The city has its Cooling Centers open. You can find a list of sites at this link (you can narrow down the choices by zip code; many of the options are for seniors only).

 Local options include:

• Ottendorfer Library, 135 Second Ave. between St. Mark's Place and Ninth Street — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Hamilton Fish Park Library, 415 E. Houston St. between Pitt and Columbia — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

(The Tompkins Square branch remains closed for renovations.) 

Also listed among the cooling centers: The big new Petco on Union Square East. They are open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Outdoor city pools will stay open for any hour later (to 8 p.m.!) today and tomorrow.

You could also go old school and open a hydrant... of course, that is ILLEGAL!

But! There is a legal way to go about this. Per an article of The City yesterday: 

You can put in a request to the Fire Department to open a hydrant. If it’s approved, a member of the fire department will come to fit the hydrant with a spray cap and return that same day to close it up. To request a spray cap fitting, go to your local firehouse and fill out a short form.

You can find your nearest firehouse on the 311 Firehouses page. You must be over 18 years old and bring your ID with you.

Sunday's opening shot

At the P.S. 20 playground on Essex and Houston...

It's hot out

NYC is under a heat advisory today.

Per the Weather Channel: "Use air conditioning to stay cool at home or go to a place with air conditioning. Check on vulnerable friends, family members, neighbors and stuffed bears." 

Photo on Third Avenue at 10th Street today by Goggla.

Where to find a local cooling center

The city is under an Excessive Heat Warning through 8 tonight. 

According to the National Weather Service, we're facing "dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 107." There's also an Excessive Heat Watch for tomorrow. 

The above graphic — via Loisaida Community Fridge — shows three cooling centers in the neighborhood. This map has more locations in the city. 

Meanwhile, the city is asking people to conserve energy, etc. ...

Turn off any appliances that you don't need on right now, turn off lights, and avoid things like running the laundry if you can.

— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) August 12, 2021

An extra hour to swim this weekend at city pools

[Hamilton Fish Pool pic from Sunday]

The NYC Department of Parks & Rec announced today that, due to the excessive heat expected, general swim hours for outdoor pools are extended by an hour through 8 p.m. today, tomorrow and Sunday.

So around here, that means extra time at Hamilton Fish Pool on Pitt and Houston ... and the Dry Dock Pool on Avenue D and 10th Street.

City pools opened for the season back on Wednesday.

[Updated] 200 East Village ConEd customers without power

We've heard from a few readers around East Sixth Street and Avenue C who lost their power late last night.

According to the ConEd outage map, there's a "manhole problem":



The estimated power return is 11 a.m.

Updated 9:30 a.m.

East Sixth Street between Avenue B and C is currently closed... and there are at least 15-18 ConEd trucks on the scene...





Updated 11:34 a.m.

ConEd is now estimating that the power will be restored by 3 p.m.



Updated 2:30

We're told that ConEd has restored the power.

[Updated] Female diner decides to go topless last night at Verso

A story from the heatwave.

At Verso last night, two diners entered the Italian bistro on Avenue C and East Eighth Street ... the female diner sat down and immediately removed her top. She sat bare chested while owner Labinot Baraliu asked her to put her shirt back on. She argued that it was "perfectly legal" for her to sit topless in the restaurant... all the while her male companion was taking photos of her.

The staff did end up escorting the couple out of the restaurant.

"In 15 years [in the restaurant business] I've seen all kinds of things, but not this," said Baraliu. "It was funny, but at the same time I was like 'WTF — is this really happening?'"

Updated 7-10
Find an explanation here.

Cooling centers

Someone emailed us, suggesting that we mention where people can find cooling centers in the neighborhood. So... To find the cooling center closest to you, call 311 or visit OEM's Cooling Center Locator here.

Here are locations that we found...

Tompkins Square Library
331 E. 10th St

Campos Plaza
611 E. 13th St.

John Paul II Friendship Center
103 E. 7th St.

Hamilton Fish Park Library
415 E. Houston St.

Meltzer Towers SC
94 E. 1st St

Ottendorfer Library
135 Second Ave.

Thank you, and good night

REAL LIVE snow spotted in Midtown

Earlier this afternoon in Midtown ... a reader notes some movie-making magic...

Let's hope that she holds up

Con Ed plant a little bit ago ... Photo by Shawn Chittle.

Noted

A few scenes from the heatwave

All photos by EV Grieve Heatwave Correspondent Bobby Williams...

This afternoon on Seventh Street

Photo by EV Grieve reader Evan.