ACCUWEATHER ALERT: Another day of sweltering heat

ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Sunday, August 14, 2016
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NEW YORK (WABC) -- The heat wave gripping the Tri-State area continues on Sunday, with temperatures expected to reach the mid-90's once again.[br /][br /]Meteorologist Jeff Smith says the humidity will make it feel as high as 105 to 110 degrees in some spots. An excessive heat warning for the area is in effect until 10 p.m. Sunday.[br /][br /]Most people are trying their best to stay cool and stay safe, but imagine spending days on end in the extreme heat. A group of men in Greenwich Village have been doing just that.[br /][br /][media ID="1469654" /][br /][br /]Saturday brought another day of sweltering heat and humidity. The excessive heat is not only a strain to the power grid, but it also brings the chance of storms.[br /][br /]Bad weather moved through parts of the area into Saturday night, triggering bright flashes of lightning.[br /][br /][instagram SRC="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJEjTGyAZh8/ " /][br /][br /]Skies also lit up over Rockaway Beach.[br /][br /][instagram SRC="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJEcfO-jXSn/" /][br /][br /]And over parts of New Jersey.[br /][br /]https://www.instagram.com/p/BJEkKz-BYln/[br /][br /][twitter ID="764807508246589440" /][br /][br /]Jeff Smith explained when we will get relief from thunderstorms at the hot weather:[br /][br /][facebook URL="https://www.facebook.com/jeffsmithABC7/videos/638051989706201/[br /]" /][br /][br /]As heavy heat and humidity continued through the weekend, utility Con Edison worked to conserve energy and keep up with power needs.[br /][br /]Con Ed broke a new record for weekend consumption at 1 p.m. Saturday and that number may fall again later in the weekend. The new record is 11,664 megawatts; the previous weekend record was 11,533 megawatts July 23, 2011.[br /][br /][media ID="1468902" /][br /][br /]There are excessive heat warnings in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut through Sunday evening.[br /][Ads /][br /]On Saturday, Con Ed was working to restore power to some customers who lost it overnight. About 100 customers system-wide in the five boroughs were without power by early Saturday morning.[br /][br /]PSEG customers without power on Long Island and in New Jersey totaled 950. Connecticut Eversource customers without power totaled 1,133 in eastern sections of the state.[br /][br /]Con Edison said Saturday it was reducing voltage by 5 percent in certain Brooklyn neighborhoods to protect equipment and maintain service. The area includes: Sheepshead Bay, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Midwood, Flatbush and East Flatbush.[br /][br /]Several neighborhoods on Staten Island were asked to conserve energy at night while Con Edison crews worked to repair equipment problems. Richmond University Medical Center was forced to run on generators, waiting to be phased back onto the grid.[br /][br /]The affected neighborhoods on Staten Island are: West Brighton, Livingston, Port Richmond, Castleton Corners, Sunnyside, Mariners Harbor, Arlington, Bloomfield, Chelsea, Travis, Great Kills, Richmond Valley, New Brighton, St. George, Tompkinsville, Brighton Heights, Ward Hill, Stapleton, Grymes Hill, Clifton, Silver Lake, Rosebank, Ft. Wadsworth, Grasmere, Concord, Arrochar, South Beach, Ocean Breeze, Midland Beach, Grant City, New Dorp and Dongan Hills.[br /][Ads /][br /]Customers in some Queens neighborhoods also were asked to conserve energy. The area includes: Corona, Elmhurst, Fresh Meadows, Jamaica Estates, Oakland Gardens, Hollis Hills, Kew Gardens Hills, Pomonok and Hillcrest. The area is bounded by the Long Island Expressway on the north, the Grand Central Parkway on the south, the Cross Island Parkway on the east and Queens Boulevard on the west.[br /][br /]Mayor Bill de Blasio is urging residents to take steps to conserve energy, for example setting air conditioning units higher than normal.[br /][br /]"Get those temperatures to 78 degrees. When I go into city hall, I feel it; it's not as nice as when it is cooler. But everyone is going about their work, everyone is fine, and it is going to help us protect ourselves over the next few days," de Blasio said.[br /][br /][b]RESOURCES[/b][br /]New York City has opened cooling centers across the five boroughs.[br /][Ads /][br /]"Extreme heat is deadly, and our dense urban environment that traps and absorbs heat creates a dangerous situation for vulnerable New Yorkers," said NYCEM Commissioner Joseph Esposito earlier this summer. "This is the first heat emergency of the summer, and I urge everyone to think about their safety and the safety of others around them by checking in on family, friends, neighbors, senior citizens and those with chronic health conditions."[br /][br /][b]RELATED: [url HREF="http://abc7ny.com/weather/its-hot-tips-and-resources-for-coping-with-extreme-heat/1415550/" TARGET="" REL=""]Tips and resources for coping with extreme heat[/url][/b][br /][br /]To find the nearest cooling center, call 311 or visit [url HREF="http://www.nyc.gov/beattheheat" TARGET="_blank" REL=""]NYC.gov/BeatTheHeat[/url][br /][br /]Customers can report outages and check service restoration status at www.conEd.com or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633).