New York City is in for an oppressive weekend, packed with heavy humidity and a lot of heat.
While Thursday kicked off cool and cloudy, temperatures were forecast to rise steadily throughout the day, with a heat advisory going into effect starting at 11 a.m. and lasting through 8 p.m. on Friday.
“New York: Today’s heat is serious,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote on social media. “Temperatures will be around 100 degrees, with the potential for severe storms later today.”
Barry Williams / New York Daily News
Visitors at East River Park South brave the hot weather Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025 in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/ New York Daily News)
Mamdani also noted the city “is mobilizing every resource we have,” including opening hundreds of cooling centers and preparing catch basins before possible storms.
“At NYC Emergency Management, we’ve activated our team to support heat and storm response actions across the city, closely track the weather forecast, and keep New Yorkers informed,” said NYCEM Commissioner Christina Farrell. “The City is preparing, and we want New Yorkers to take simple steps to prepare, too.”
Heat index values up to 104 degrees were expected Thursday and could last well into Saturday, the National Weather Service warned, adding that the heat advisory will likely be extended through the weekend. Once temperatures begin to climb, there will be little reprieve; even the nighttime hours will likely remain uncomfortable. There’s also a high likelihood of heavy downpours and localized flash flooding throughout the weekend.
A woman cools off in a sprinkler near Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn on Friday, July 25, 2025. (Theodore Parisienne / New York Daily News)
Thanks to the moist and warm air, scattered showers and thunderstorms were forecast to strike as early as Thursday afternoon and evening, per AccuWeather. The threat of thunderstorms remain severe through Friday, when highs are expected to near 90 degrees, though it will likely feel much warmer thanks to humidity. Saturday will be similar, and while the humidity will begin to wane moving into the week, the heat will persist.
According to the AccuWeather forecast, both Monday and Tuesday will remain in the 90s, while Wednesday’s high is expected to be in the low 80s.