New York City Enters Its First Official Heat Wave This Year

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – New York City officially entered its first heat wave the year Monday, with temperatures above 90 degrees for a third straight day.

Heat like this makes even simple tasks harder to do. Sunshine bakes the earth, heat swells from the ground, and the sweat rolls down.

Lori O'Rourke and her daughter Emmie walked to Bryant Park to photograph their foster dog, Lasso, in hopes of finding her a forever home.

"We're dying," Lori said. "It's hot."

LINK: Check Out Our Summer Safety Guide

"If I didn't have this photo shoot, I would probably be at home right now. But I'm glad I'm out here," her daughter, Emmie O'Rourke, added.

Lasso was feeling the extreme heat too, and water was on order. And then?

"Back in immediately," said Lori.

Limiting outdoor activity is a must, and drinking plenty of fluids cannot be forgotten.

"I'm dying out here. My eyebrows are sweating," Eric Grief said. "It's tough."

On the hottest day of the summer, canines and humans alike feel the burn.

"It's very hot. I can barely walk. It's, like, kind of annoying," said 13-year-old Julia Hirstov.

Beating the heat outside is not easy for some, especially construction workers. Just watching them lift lumber during peak heat made CBS2's Vanessa Murdock sweat.

"We take breaks. It depends if you feel too hot, you take a 15 minute break. Drink lots of water," said Marcel Rivera.

For others, it's a breeze.

"I usually cruise on this,"said Steven Meril, who rides a one wheeled skateboard. He told Murdock it creates cooling on its own.

"When I'm on the water here, the breeze feels great," he said.

"I love it hot, so I'm happy with it hot," said LoriAnn Freda.

"I feel like all the elements are made for us," said Davon Tate.

Murdock reported that her ideal way to tackle two things - the heat and cravings - is ice cream, served up at Morgenstern's in the West Village.

"It's amazing," one customer said.

Outdoor dining is the only lunch option for work crews these days.

"Pretty much how I prefer it," said Patrick Buckley, who installs fireplaces in high-rise buildings. He approves of all the new outdoor dining taking place around the city.

"That's the one thing New York City was missing – outdoor dining," he said.

At Dim Sum Palace in Midtown, man-made shade with a side of ambience make dining al fresco just fine.

"In direct sun, this would be awfully hard," a customer named Peter said.

And sunburn might happen. It did to one of our colleagues who opted to sit outside for good eats. It's understandable why, in Little Italy, seats in the sun got no love. Under an umbrella, Malini Khargie and her friend served up pasta.

"I'm excited to eat, but I'm staying really hard to cool down," she said.

No matter which side you slide - shade or sun - the city's hot today - the hottest it has been in 2020.