New Yorkers should prepare for high temperatures as summer approaches and extreme heat is already hitting much of the United States.
Accuweather meteorologists have predicted that New York City will likely have twice as many 90-degree days compared to 2023 when it recorded 12 days at that temperature level.
The so-called meteorological summer begins on Saturday, June 1, while the astronomical summer begins almost three weeks later, on the solstice, which is at 4:50 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 20, 2024, according to that forecasting company. and weather warnings.
“No matter how you look at it, next season is shaping up to be a hot season for most of America,” Accuweather warned.
The city’s Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice explained that New York, like other dense urban areas, is warmer than its rural and suburban surroundings.
And he warned that as greenhouse gas emissions cause the planet to warm, the city will experience “more frequent, longer-lasting and intense” heat waves.
“There could be up to six times as many days above 90 degrees per year by the 2080s and up to five times as many heat waves by the 2080s. Sustained exposure to high temperatures can harm public health, including dehydration, heat exhaustion, heatstroke and even death,” he explained.
In New York, on average each year, there are approximately 370 heat-related deaths. But all heat deaths are preventable, according to city officials.
The Office of Climate and Environmental Justice listed the impacts of extreme heat, highlighting that while temperatures are rising across the city, heat risk varies by neighborhood.
“As a result of systemic racism, lack of green space, limited access to air conditioning, and poor quality housing, heat-exacerbated deaths are more common in neighborhoods that are home to a higher proportion of black and low-income New Yorkers.” income,” he described.
As for people most vulnerable to intense heat, he said older residents are more likely to have underlying health problems and be socially isolated or have limited mobility.
New Yorkers with mental illness, those in homeless shelters or city jails are also more vulnerable as these facilities may lack adequate air conditioning.
Construction, transportation, public services and manufacturing workers who work outdoors or in facilities without adequate air conditioning are on the list of the vulnerable.
Protect health
The American Lung Association recommends steps individuals and community leaders can take this spring to help reduce extreme summer heat.
These measures include reflective (cool) roofs and pavements, green roofs, trees, and solar photovoltaics (PV). Using these innovative technologies can cool cities by 5°F.
“From the direct impact of changes in temperature and climate to the special burdens these changes place on the most vulnerable communities, climate change seriously threatens our well-being, especially our lung health,” said Harold Wimmer, president and CEO of the American Lung Association.
Wimmer explained that increased heat in cities, combined with emissions from power plants, motor vehicles and other pollution sources, creates ozone pollution, also known as smog.
Smog affects everyone, but is especially harmful to children, seniors, pregnant people, people with lung diseases, low-income communities and communities of color, he said.
Steps to help reduce extreme heat this summer are:
Green spaces and tree planting: Urban trees and green spaces can reduce temperatures by up to 7°F during the day and 22°F at night.
Green landscapes convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, remove pollutants from the air and reduce the risk of flooding.
Reflective Roofs: Photovoltaic solar cells, also called solar PV, convert sunlight into renewable energy, helping cities reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.
Solar energy reduces energy demand from non-renewable power plants, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality. Solar panels also provide shade for buildings, sidewalks, and other public areas.
Porous Pavement: Can reduce temperatures through evaporative cooling and act as a water filter as it is cleaned as it passes through the soil into the groundwater.
Types of porous pavements include porous asphalt, concrete, permeable pavers, and porous grid pavers with grass or gravel.