Heat wave forecast: Will NYC see a 100-degree day this week?

NEW YORK - Are you ready for the heat in NYC?

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A heat wave is forecast to drive temperatures sky-high across the New York City area to potentially dangerous levels not experienced in several years.

• MORE: NYC air quality alert today: Live map for NY, NJ, CT

Temperatures are expected to soar upwards of 20 degrees above what is typical in mid-June, with heat indices in the dangerous range. The Big Apple has not seen a 100-degree reading since July 18, 2012, during one of the worst heat waves in modern history.

"We got the warmer weather setting up to the points where we're going to have a heat wave in the area," FOX 5 NY's Mike Woods said.

Here's what you need to know about this week's potential heat wave, including a full forecast, a heat risk map and the rest of the summer outlook. 

Heat wave this week: Watches, advisories 

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for most of New Jersey, New York's Hudson Valley and parts of Connecticut. North-central Connecticut is under an excessive heat watch.

"Heat advisories will likely be extended into NYC later in the week," NWS writes.

Heat advisories also cover parts of several other states across the Northeast.

The National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, was very blunt with its forecast – "It’s gonna be hot!"

Weather in NYC this week

Residents can expect the hottest temperatures between noon and 8 p.m. each day.

Today: Sunny, with a high of 90. This is when the heat index approaches the middle-to-upper 90s. In some areas, temperatures will feel as hot as 100.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. The heat index will remain in the 90s during peak hours.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 88. The heat index forecast rises to the upper 90s and lower 100s for most of the region, apart from eastern Long Island.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. The heat index forecast remains scorching hot, around 100.

(In the Northeast, a heat wave is defined as three or more days in a row of temperatures in the 90s.)

Heat risk map

In many of the areas where daily records could be broken or there is a lot of pavement, the National Weather Service’s HeatRisk map has labeled communities at a Level 3 or 4 out of 4 for impacts.

The HeatRisk threat level takes into consideration the unusual nature of the heat, the duration of the extreme temperatures and potential health impacts.

• At a code red (Level 3) stage, heat affects anyone who is not adequately hydrated or those without access to cooling.
• Magenta (Level 4 signifies) extreme heat that is either rare or long in duration. Health systems can be impacted by an influx of patients with heat-related illnesses.

During the height of the heat wave on Thursday, most residents in New York will find themselves at a Level 4 out of 4.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the most common illnesses from warm temperatures are heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Health experts warn that heatstroke occurs when the body’s internal temperature rises rapidly, overwhelming its ability to cool down. Heatstroke can result in serious health complications and is most prevalent among young children and older adults.

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NYC cooling centers

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NYC summer 2024 forecast

Those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer are here – and so is FOX 5 NY's weather outlook for summer 2024 in NYC!

While New Yorkers should anticipate lots of fun in the sun, we can also be subject to scorching heat and high humidity, which can be dangerous if we're not careful.

For comparison, last summer wasn't too hot.

• 2023: 5 days of 90+ degrees
• 2022: 24 days of 90+ degrees
• The average is 15 days of 90+ degrees
• The last 100+ degrees day was July 18, 2012
• The hottest NYC day ever was 106 degrees on July 9, 1936

FOX Weather's Andrew Wulfeck and Steven Yablonski helped contribute to this report.