Summer Gets Serious With Suffocating Humidity, Excessive Heat Warning

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – With the summer weather sizzling, the Tri-State area is enduring the first official heat wave of the season.

A heatwave technically means the mercury has to reach three days of 90 degrees in a row, and as of Monday evening, it's looking like we'll sweat right through the 4th of July.

New Yorkers out and about the city as temps rise just have to deal with it. 

"Like you perpetually need to be taking a shower, but you also already feel wet so it's like a moot point," said John Lampe of Sunnyside, Queens.

"I was hoping that it would cool down a little bit and the city would calm down, but nope it's just as hot," said Aminka Belvitt in SoHo.

WEATHER: CBS2's Foreacst, Area Temperatures, More

No one could be hotter than the 5,000 athletes that took part in this year's New York City Triathlon, with a mile swim, a nearly 25 mile bike and a 6-mile run. The event was one of the steamiest races on record.

"The humidity is kind of suffocating but you got to push through," said triathlete Cecilia Vasquez of Jersey City.

The blistering temperatures lead the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to issue an excessive heat warning.

"Some of the dangers are heat stroke, heat exhaustion, dehydration," warned Dr. Natalya Urovish.

To avoid those dangers doctors have some advice: "I think some of the mistakes people make are they lie down, which can actually make your symptoms worse," said Urovish. "What people need to do is go inside and cool off frequently."

Or hit the water: The beach in Long Branch, New Jersey was packed with people doing just that.

"We have plenty water," said Kathy Green of Park Ridge, N.J. "And we get wet every so often to cool bodies down."

In Englewood, the air conditioning went out at a nursing home prompting a partial evacuation of some of the residents. Firefighters at the Inglemoor Center helped get everyone out to safety as crews worked to fix the facility's power problem.

About 50 people in total had to be moved.

Con Edison crews in Brooklyn performed a high wire act, trying to get the power restored after a utility pole in Sunset Park caught fire around 4 p.m. The utility company says the problem started with a nearby manhole. The problem left at least 20 customers without power.

"We actually came outside because one of the neighbors was saying that the pole was on fire," Sunset Park resident Jennifer Fernandez told CBS2.

Sitting outside was the only way for Fernandez to get relief.

In the Bronx, Yankees fans didn't retreat just because of the heat. Thousands came out to see the Bombers take on the Atlanta Braves.

"We bought the cheap water because it's way more expensive inside," Congers resident Rob Reemer said. "We've got water and we wore shorts, we're good to go, man."

For more ways to stay cool and safe, check out Tips To Beat The Heat: Your Guide To Summer Safety.