This week began with temperatures above 90 degrees, which in the next few hours will even reach above 100 degrees, so authorities in the Big Apple launched a call for alert in the face of what they call a new heat wave, which will be “burning” strongly, at least until Tuesday.
And Latino workers who earn their living outdoors, fully exposed to the heat, like Ecuadorian Julia Saquicela, who sells fresh water, tamales and champurrados at a stand owned by a Mexican friend in Manhattan, do suffer the harshness of the mercury that is about to explode. Without the option of air conditioning and trying to maintain a positive attitude, they resort to different strategies to avoid being hit by the excess heat and even affecting their health.
“Gosh, it’s really hot, but we have no other option than to keep working and make some shade so we don’t get burned,” said the young vendor, who says that even though it takes her more time to set up her stall every day, she prefers to use an umbrella to cover her. “The best protection is God, but I also don’t take off my cap or wear short clothes because you get burned. Long clothes and caps protect you more and when you have money, a little sunscreen.”
Jacobo Huerta, originally from Mexico and who works for a construction company doing repairs on building facades, also admits to feeling the ravages of the heat wave, and although he recognizes that he is aware that extreme measures must be taken to counteract the high temperatures, he assures that he only protects himself with the helmet he always wears.
“I am not one of those who puts sun cream or sunblock on my face and body. I really don’t like being sticky, because when you start to sweat it’s worse, but many colleagues do it,” said the worker. “You are also used to this, because when we work in this business, both extreme cold and heat are something we have to deal with, so I try not to give it much thought. What I cannot do without is drinking a lot of water. That is essential.”
Other Latino workers, like Maria Rodriguez, who has been selling ice cream in Manhattan for several years, seem more relaxed and even say they don’t think the weather is worse now because of climate change.
“The heat has always been there, and now it is even better. Several years ago, summers here were hot, but not now. These are heat waves that pass quickly,” said the saleswoman, while assuring that she does not spend money on sunscreen, as she believes that the best protection is to stay hydrated.
“I never wear anything, just a cap and drink water, what else? With that, you’re already protected, but these climates are much less hot than before,” insists the Latin merchant.
And while New Yorkers who are directly affected by the high temperatures, moving around in outdoor spaces, are juggling to avoid the sun, which on Monday had a UV level of 9, humidity at 60% and a wind chill of 100 degrees, city officials are asking to be on alert. The heat wave that will extend intensely at least until Tuesday is dangerous and the different agencies of the City launched a warning call, after the National Weather Service issued an extreme heat advisory for the city and its surrounding areas from Monday at noon until Tuesday at 10 pm, which could possibly extend until Wednesday.
This was stated on Monday by the Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, after insisting that it is urgent to recognize the danger that the heat wave can represent, and announcing that in addition to the joint work that several agencies are carrying out to ensure that everything develops normally, there are more than 500 cooling centers open, including libraries.
“Don’t underestimate the heat. We want people to take extra precautions. We expect to see heat indices as high as 101 degrees through tomorrow and potentially into Wednesday,” the city’s governor said. “This heat is not normal, we’ve said it time and time again, climate change is here and it’s real, and it’s a clear and present danger. As I’ve said before, a heat wave can be deadly and life-threatening if you’re not prepared. Our city is prepared, the entire apparatus is coordinating, including the MTA and Con Edison.”
Latino workers protect themselves from extreme heat. Photo Edwin Martinez.
The Mayor also wanted to highlight that the City is also thinking about pets, saying that several cooling centers in each county are pet-friendly, and that beaches will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. Olympic-sized pools will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and mini pools will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“New Yorkers can find additional ways to stay cool online at our Cool Options Map at finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters or by calling 311. I made it clear weeks ago that having a working air conditioner at home is one of the most effective ways to protect against heat emergencies, and low-income New Yorkers can apply to receive an air conditioner at no cost through the Federal Home Energy Assistance Program until funding is exhausted,” Adams added, stressing that to avoid power outages, New Yorkers must be conscious of their energy use.
“Please make sure to take care of your neighbors, it is important, those who have respiratory or health problems, just keep an eye on them. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, and if you have to go outside, take a break, and the same for our four-legged friends, make sure they take breaks too,” said the mayor.
Zack Iscol, the city’s emergency management commissioner, said that since June 1, nearly 75 percent of daily high temperatures in Central Park have been above normal, and he said the city is prepared to deal with the heat wave, with agencies such as the Fire Department, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Health and public utility companies.
“It’s hot. The heat index is forecast to reach about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, 102 tomorrow and 100 degrees on Wednesday. It’s been hot the last few days as well, but we’ll start to feel it tomorrow. There will also be little respite from the heat overnight. It’s important for people to understand and know that we’re not going to have very cool nights over the next few days where we’ll get a respite from the heat,” Iscol said. “Heat is a very serious thing. It kills more people than any other weather phenomenon. That’s why some people refer to heat as a silent storm. We have three priorities when it comes to heat. Number one is public messaging and awareness of the dangers. We can’t do that without our partners in the media. Life safety and minimizing impacts to public health and health services, and then minimizing impacts to infrastructure.”
City Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan stressed that climate change and extreme heat are part of a public health crisis that “must be addressed with the same sense of urgency, coordination and focus” as any other crisis, adding to the message that extreme caution should be taken.
“More than 300 New Yorkers die each year from heat-related deaths. Every single one of them, whether heat-exacerbated or heat-related, every single one of them is preventable,” the Commissioner said, adding that it is urgent to be vigilant with neighbors. “Listen to your body. Your body is the best signal and arbiter of how the heat is affecting you, stay hydrated, get inside when you can. Of course, more than half of the heat-related complications, illnesses and deaths that occur each year in New York City occur in people who live in homes without air conditioning.”
Janno Lieber, executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said the agency will be vigilant to ensure that extreme heat does not cause service disruptions.
“We will have heat patrols that will proactively increase track inspections, because sometimes the heat has an impact on the alignment of the tracks, with additional personnel stationed at key locations so that we can respond quickly if there is truly some emergency condition,” the official said. “Same situation on the commuter railroads, Long Island Railroad and Metro North will also have their waiting rooms open with air conditioning so that everyone can come and cool off if it suits them. The buses are on high alert, everyone knows the buses, our bus system is air conditioned.”
Jamie Brennan, vice president of electric operations, said he was confident that Con Edison’s system was reliable, but the company’s emergency response center was activated.
Outdoor workers suffer the ravages of extreme heat. Photo Edwin Martinez
“That allows us to monitor the system closely, coordinate with our regional control centers, all of our field teams and all of our partners here in government to ensure that we are responding safely and efficiently to customer needs,” Brennan said. “I think it’s worth remembering that this is the third heat wave. It’s the third time we’ve been through this, the height of summer heat. We designed the system, invested in the system, and planned and drilled year-round. We’re confident that we’ll get through this, as we always do.”
Heatwave Facts
- 100 degrees and more can be felt
- From Monday to Tuesday at 10 pm and even part of Wednesday, the alert will be
- 500 cooling centers are open
- finder.nyc.gov/coolingcenters is the page to find where there are cooling centers near you
- 311 is the line to get information too
- 300 New Yorkers die every year from extreme heat
- 400 New Yorkers are treated in emergency rooms due to the heat in the summer
- You can sign up for Notify NYC, the city’s free emergency notification system, for more updates.