Officials Urging Extra Precautions As Tri-State Is Hit With Extreme Heat

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) --  It's sweltering in the city, and the heat and humidity are punishing on the boardwalks and the beaches as people are using every available tool to stay cool.

"The sand is like blazing, it's insanely hot!" one Coney Island beachgoer told CBS2's Elise Finch.

A sprinkler in the shape of a palm tree was set up on the beach Wednesday, and there was a sea of umbrellas lining the sand. The beachgoers themselves were struggling with dangerously hot weather.

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"Umbrellas, hats, sunscreen anything to stay protected. I've had skin cancer so it's really important for me to keep a hat on, put the sunscreen on and watch out for them, too. You lose focus out here. The sun makes you feel good and the next thing you know you go home and you burned," Bensonhurst, Brooklyn resident Keith Carpentieri said.

Even the sea breeze couldn't keep people cool. It was common to see kids building sand castles under umbrellas as they were frequently sprayed with sunscreen.

In the city, it's a sweaty day for subway riders and for people whose work keeps them outdoors.

"We go in frequently for extra water breaks," Bryant Park employee Matthew Troupe said.

Frequent breaks in an air-conditioned space is crucial. It's one of many actions urged by officials from New York City's Office of Emergency Management.

"Just use common sense if you're going to be outside limit your time, check on neighbors ... and don't forget your pets," Commissioner Joseph Esposito said.

Some New Yorkers say using all the tricks is the only way to stay safe and beat the heat.

"It's important-- it has to be a habit, you don't go out until you do it. It makes you feel more comfortable to going out for the day if you know you have already put on your sunscreen, and you have your hat and your water and your protection," Upper East Side resident Lauren Cusano said.