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New Yorkers Have Had It With The Humidity

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The hazy, hot and sticky weather has seemed unbearable for many people in the Tri-State Area – but is this really worse than the extreme temperatures and dry heat people experience elsewhere in the country?

As CBS 2's Andrea Grymes reported Wednesday, different people have different answers to that question. But regardless, you won't find too many people who enjoy the humidity.

"It's really horrible," said a construction worker.

"It's very uncomfortable," added a mover.

"I have no idea what to do to beat the humidity," said a tourist.

Nearly everyone in the Tri-State Area has been trying to deal with several days in a row of high humidity.

"I drink a lot of water, stay hydrated; Gatorade," said a maintenance worker.

But Arizona natives Bill and Rubecca Worlock, who are vacationing in New York, had a different perspective.

"A lot more humid," said Rubecca Worlock, who said she was not used to such conditions being from Phoenix.

On Wednesday in their hometown, it was 117 degrees. That exceeds the highest temperature ever recorded in New York City by eight degrees – the local record was 106 degrees, set back in 1936.

But while 117 degrees may sound unbearable, they said the old cliché about dry heat is actually true.

"It's a little humid here, but the heat is tolerable because it's a dry heat out there," said Bill Worlock.

The humidity, of course, can be dangerous. Doctors at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center said they have seen a spike this week in people coming in with heat-related conditions.

Emergency room doctor Chen He said when it is so humid, it is hard for sweat to evaporate off your skin like it does during a dry heat. That can cause problems.

"It makes your body temperature higher than it would be if it's not as humid," she said, adding that such conditions can lead to "heat rash, heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses."

Dr. He recommended drinking plenty of water, and trying to stay inside when it is hot and humid.

Layla Perryman, 9, added that dressing cool is a must.

"Dress good and look good," she said.

Dr. He also recommended only exercising outdoors in moderation when it is hot and humid.

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