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The city's Office of Emergency Management is opening up cooling centers across the city in anticipation of the stifling heat expected today and tomorrow. You can find out where cooling centers are by calling 311 or checking out the OEM website. And when some people from other hot places around the city scoff at our antics during 90-degree weather, the city can actually be 10 degrees warmer than its surrounding areas. The OEM calls this the "urban heat island effect" when the infrastructure of asphalt, concrete and metal traps heat. We were reading the OEM's "Beat the Heat" brochure (PDF) and among the suggestions are not to eat high protein diets and not to take salt tablets - and never leave people or pets locked in parked cars and , of course, drink plenty of water. Plus, try to conserve energy by leaving on only essential appliances (laptop, check; TiVo, check).
Here are tips to stay safe and these are the descriptions of heat exhaustion and heat stroke:
Heat exhaustion: Symptoms include heavy sweating, weakness, headache, weak pulse, dizziness, exhaustion, fainting, nausea or vomiting, and cold, clammy skin. Body temperature will seem normal.What really sucks is that while the MTA tells people who feel sick not to get on the train, we feel like many platform conditions encourage the sick feeling - especially when they are 10-20 degrees hotter than the surface.Heat stroke: Symptoms include flushed, hot, dry skin, weak or rapid pulse, shallow breathing, lack of sweating, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, and unconsciousness. Body temperature will be elevated, and victim should receive immediate medical attention.
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Great blog!
it will not near it, it'll pass 100. All this crapy nyc humidity makes it so nasty, otherwise 100 of dry heat wouldn't be that suffocating.
The original IRT subway design had a provision for some ventilation built in, with the entry/exit kiosks (a replica can be found at Astor Place) had a means of bringing fresh air in. Sadly they were removed in the name of modernization. They were said to make the subway cooler during the summer.
Underground subway stations themselves were just plain cooler until they installed airconditioning in the cars in the 60's and 70's. It's the same concept as having a basement/cellar. Now the trains are airconditioned and there has to be someplace for the displaced heat to go, which is into the tunnels and stations.
Priceless: "Plus, try to conserve energy by leaving on only essential appliances (laptop, check; TiVo, check)." Drink lots of water and stay shady! :-)