The Big Apple’s early summer weather is heating up the history books.
New York peaked at 90 degrees in Central Park Thursday — shattering a heat record set in the 1970s with weather rarely seen in spring, meteorologists said.
Temperatures climbed higher than the previous record for the day — set in 1977 at 88 degrees — as New Yorkers busted out sunscreen and suffered through sweltering outdoor jobs.
NYC is poised to hit 90 degrees in Central Park Thursday, potentially shattering heat records. DANIEL WILLIAM MCKNIGHT
The previous record for the day was set in 1977 at 88 degrees. Gabby Bass
This type of hot weather is rarely seen in spring, according to meteorologists. Robert Miller
A view of the blazing sun setting behind the Empire State Building and Manhattan as seen from Brooklyn. Christopher Sadowski“You see me sweating through [my] shirt and I’m on my second gatorade! I’m not used to it yet,” said Esteban Rivas, a 40-year-old furniture mover, who was delivering on the Upper East Side.
“Everyone’s half-naked today. It’s been brutal. I’m just trying to stay out of the sun. It’s too quick of a change. Flip from cold to hot. I need time to adjust,” he said.
Fox Weather meteorologist Marissa Lautenbacher recommended that New Yorkers take heatwave-like precautions amid a forecast high of 90 — roughly 25 degrees above average for the time of year.
“Even though it is April, if you’re going to be outside for an extended period of time, wear that sunscreen… there’s really not a cloud in the sky,” she said. “It will feel nice but if you start to feel fatigued, move inside.”
The unseasonably summery weather is forecast to last through Friday, which will see a sunny high of 86 before temps cool to 64 with scattered showers Saturday.
New Yorkers cool off in Washington Square Park. REUTERS
Temperatures are poised to soar to 90 degrees in New York City Thursday. FOX Weather
New Yorkers are embracing the unseasonably warm weather this spring. DANIEL WILLIAM MCKNIGHTTemperatures rarely reach the 90s until late May in New York City, so this is “significantly earlier than average,” Lautenbacher said. The city has only reached 90 degrees during the month of April 19 times since record keeping began in 1869.
“We’re getting all this warm air from the south,” she said, adding the conditions pose a wildfire threat. “It’s warm and windy and dry.”
Temperatures in Newark, New Jersey also soared to 91 degrees Thursday, beating a heat record set at 87 degrees in 1977, said FOX Weather meteorologist Stephen McCloud.
Much of the East Coast, including parts of New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, is also forecast to enjoy clear skies and warm weather through the end of the week
