National Weather Service Issues Heat Advisory For New York City

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for New York City today as the heat index is expected to rise to nearly 100 degrees and a tropical air mass hovering over the city will cause high humidity, NBC News reports.

The advisory is in effect until this evening as temperatures in places like John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty International airports could reach record-highs.

Officials suggest rescheduling strenuous activities to early morning or evening and to be aware of the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, according to The WeatherUnderground.com. Wear light weight and loose fitting clothing and drink plenty of water.

City officials have opened cooling centers throughout the five boroughs, The Wall Street Journal reports, in public places such as senior centers and Salvation Army community centers where they'll turn up the air conditioning. Call 3-1-1 to find the center nearest to you.

And don't forget you can take a dip at one of the city's 54 public swimming pools, open until 7pm this evening (they're cleaner even than swanky hotel pools). It's also legal to bust open a city fire hydrant, as long as you have a city approved spray cap, if you want to cool off on the street.