New Yorkers prepare for heat wave: 'I will just stay inside with AC'

NEW YORK (PIX11) – It’s going to be hot, hot, hot for the first full week of summer in the Big Apple.

Close to 10,000 people packed the Coney Island Boardwalk on Friday night to see the first fireworks of the season there.

Many were also talking about the heat wave heading our way beginning on Sunday.

Lots of cool sounds and dance moves on the world-famous Riegelmann Boardwalk on Coney Island, just days before New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene heat advisory goes into effect from Sunday through Thursday at 9 p.m.

The temperatures will start at 95 and possibly peak at 105° or higher on Tuesday.

“I’ll probably just stay inside until 4 p.m. each day, stay in air conditioning,” Gaul Franklin Gurley, a Coney Island Boardwalk lover, told PIX11 News.

“I just love to dance,” Ronald Kannatt, who is also known as the  ‘Prince of Coney Island,’ told PIX11 News. “It keeps me cool. Heat doesn’t bother me,” he added.

For many, refreshing ocean breezes at Coney Island, with the water temperature hovering around 65°, were the best way to prepare for the pending heat wave.

This PIX11 reporter had to dip her toe in.

“It feels good, it’s refreshing,”

Yuda Katz, a Coney Island swimmer, told PIX11 News.

While the NYC Department of Health recommends that everyone stay in an air-conditioned environment from Sunday through Tuesday and limit outdoor activity, Ruby’s Bar and Grill and Nathan’s are preparing for large crowds, grabbing a dog, a cone, or a brew.

“We’re prepared for larger crowds, extra staffing,” Michael Sarrell, the manager of Ruby’s Bar, told PIX11 News.

Although it was a fun party atmosphere at Coney Island on Friday night, city health officials want to remind everyone that climate change impacts New York City. Summers are getting hotter, and extreme heat is the deadliest of all extreme weather conditions.