Ain’t it hot out there!
New York City baked yesterday, the first day of summer.
The National Weather Service recorded 98 degrees yesterday, with a heat index of around 100. But Metro took a giant outdoor thermostat to some of the hottest places in New York, where we found it topped out at a whopping 110 degrees at 12:30 p.m. in the middle of sun-soaked Times Square.
“Oh yeah. It’s sizzling,” said Ariel Lawry, one of the thousands of New Yorkers who participated in the 10th annual summer solstice yoga event in Times Square. With beads of sweat already forming on her forehead, Lawry turned to a friend beside her. “You brought us water, right?”
Still, none of the yogis seemed reluctant about spending the afternoon stretching under the relentless sun.
“The sun is blessing us today!” exclaimed Rajashree Choudhury, the Bikram yoga instructor.
Meanwhile most passers-by took one look at the thermostat and shook their heads in disbelief. All responded the same: “Wow.”
At The High Line Park many people rushed off to escape the sun, but those who braved it made sure to stay under the shade of trees.
A woman making her way down off the park splashed water on her baby’s face.
“I hate to do it,” she said as the little girl squirmed. “But I have to! It’s so hot!”
Temperatures neared 100 degrees in the Flatiron District, where our intern cooled off with a lime rickey.
By comparison, the usually stuff subway platform at 42nd Street felt downright comfortable at only 90 degrees.
Down at the famed West 4th Street basketball courts, sweat-drenched men didn’t seem to think twice about the heat, despite temperatures nearing 120 degrees on the actual asphalt surface.
“These are all basketball players, they know what they got to do to stay cool,” said ball player Tony Brown, who was taking a quick water break. “You stretch, drink some Gatorade, stay in the shade, you know.”
According to the National Weather Service, the heat wave should continue until the weekend, with temperatures today hitting a high of 98 degrees again.
