AccuWeather says temperatures will still remain in the 90s. Meanwhile, NYC cooling centers will be open again Sunday to offer relief from the heat. Call 311 to find out hours of operation and locations.
Brutal heat and humidity continued on Saturday with temperatures hitting 102 degrees at Kennedy Airport and in Newark, New Jersey.
In New York's Times Square, tourists crowded into patches of shade along a baking Broadway, where Tony Eckinger was selling spray bottles with fans attached for $30. He had bought them at a drugstore earlier in the day for $15.
"All the stores here are sold out," Eckinger said.
"Everybody's trying to keep cool."
Nearby, Gordon Miller waited in the sun as his family bought theater tickets at a discount booth.
"I told them I don't care what we see," said Miller, of Peebles, Scotland. "Getting inside and getting cool, that's the idea."
On Saturday morning, commuter trains were packed as thousands of New Yorkers headed to beaches on Long Island or in New Jersey. Four city beaches were under a pollution warning after a fire earlier in the week at a wastewater plant forced officials to dump millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Hudson River.
In Manhattan, taxi driver Egor Targon said his business was booming because people didn't want to walk in the heat. Still, he took the day off Friday, when temperatures crept up to 104, and went to the beach in New Jersey.
"If my head is dripping, I'd rather it be with ocean water than with sweat," he said.
Power utility Con Edison is asking customers to set air conditioners at 78 degrees or higher, turn off lights in empty rooms and put off running appliances until after 10 p.m. Businesses are also asked to conserve during the day, keep front doors closed and turn off lights at night.
About 10,000 customers remained without power in New York City and its suburbs, and about 9,000 in New Jersey, after parts of the region's electrical network failed. Con Ed said it was reducing the voltage in 69 other New York neighborhoods to ease the load caused by thousands of air conditioners.
City officials said water usage had soared as New Yorkers tried to keep cool. On Saturday, it hovered around 1.5 billion gallons a day, about 50 percent higher than normal, said Environmental Protection Commissioner Cas Holloway.
Customers can report power interruptions or service problems as well as view service restoration information online at www.conEd.com and on their cell phones and PDAs. Customers may also call Con Edison at 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). When reporting an outage, customers should have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power.
The FDNY reminds residents not to open fire hydrants.
"That hydrant open full blast can knock you or kids over, or significantly decrease water pressure which becomes a problem if we need to fight a fire in that neighborhood," said FDNY Commissioner Salvatore Cassano said.
The Fire Department showed Eyewitness News the correct way, using a sprinkler cap, which a firehouse will put on at an adult's request.
"We'll open it and then later on come back and close that hydrant for you," Cassano said.
---
HEAT-RELATED TIPS
Residents are advised to call their doctor or go to the emergency room right away if they feel sick and are urged keep a close eye on family, friends and neighbors, especially the elderly. Heat illness symptoms are often not specific and include:
The risk for getting sick during a heat wave is increased for people who:
If you have a medical condition or take medication, check with your physician about precautions you should take during hot weather. Family, friends, and neighbors who are at high risk will need extra help during this period of extreme heat. Think about how you can help someone you know get to an air-conditioned place.
Ready New York - Beat the Heat Tips:
Spray Caps & Fire Hydrants:
Conserve Energy:
For more information on coping with extreme heat, see the Ready New York: Beat the Heat guide at www.nyc.gov/oem. For more information on the health effects associated with extreme heat visit www.nyc.gov/health.
