Transcript: Mayor Adams Urges New Yorkers to Prepare for Summer's First Heat Wave

June 21, 2025

Deputy Mayor Camille Joseph Varlack, Administration: Good afternoon. My name is Camille Joseph Varlack, and I serve as chief of staff [and] deputy mayor for administration, and extreme weather coordinator for City Hall. We are anticipating high heat and humidity to impact our region throughout next week.

The safety of all New Yorkers remains our top priority. To share more details about the forecast and how we are preparing, I will turn it over to Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you so much, D.M., and the entire team. We know when we're in this room with Commissioner Iscol, we know that something's about to happen. And that happening is going to be heat.

Oftentimes, people may see the heat emergencies as just a form of change in temperature, but it's not. It's one of the most deadly weather conditions that we could experience in our city. Each year, we see more than 500 New Yorkers die because of hot weather. And it is imperative that we prepare ourselves.

So summer is here, and so is our first heat wave of the year. And this extreme heat will not just be uncomfortable and oppressive for New Yorkers. It's going to be brutal and dangerous if you do not treat it with the understanding that we want you to.

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for New York City. It will be in effect from Sunday through Tuesday. High heat and humidity are also being forecast over the next few days. We expect to see temperatures in the high 90s. We expect to hit peak heat on Tuesday, with a temperature possibly reaching 100 degrees.

This is some serious heat, and New Yorkers must understand it. I want to be clear. These conditions could be deadly and life-threatening, if you are not prepared. And New Yorkers without access to cooling are unprotected and at risk.

It's imperative you have an air conditioner. Use it in a moderate manner. And if you don't, we are going to open our cooling centers. Please take advantage of it, or stay with a loved one or family member who would have an air conditioner.

Whether it is an air conditioning space, such as your home or the home of a friend or family member, a mall, library, museum, or another official New York City cooling center. You should take advantage of it.

And if you work outside, take breaks, drink plenty of water, and stay in the shade. It goes without saying, never leave children or pets in parked cars. It could be extremely dangerous during the heating condition.

If you want to find any ways to stay cool online, you can go to nyc.gov/beattheheat or call 311.

We are in constant communication with PSEG and Con Edison. We will be monitoring the electric system to make sure we can minimize the power outages. But this system can be stressed when temperatures rise to a high level.

And many people have their air conditioners on higher than what's necessary. And New York government offices will be leading the way, reducing their energy consumption to ease pressure on our systems.

And New Yorkers can sign up again for NotifyNYC, the city's free emergency notification system, which will help keep everyone updated on weather and air quality issues.

We want all New Yorkers to enjoy the summer, to be outdoors, I was out earlier in the Albanian Day Parade and it was hot. So please be careful out there. I'll turn it back over to the D.M.

Deputy Mayor Joseph Varlack: Thank you very much, mayor. We're now going to ask Commissioner Iscol of New York City Emergency Management to tell us a little bit more about where we are now.

Commissioner Zachary Iscol, NYC Emergency Management: Thank you, Deputy Mayor Joseph Varlack. And thank you, Mayor Adams. This morning, the National Weather Service upgraded the heat watch to an extreme heat warning for New York City beginning tomorrow.

This is the highest level heat alert they can issue. It means that the combination of temperature and humidity will create extremely dangerous conditions that pose a risk to health and safety.

Because of this, and because of the high heat indexes and temperatures, as the mayor said, we need to take this seriously. The danger is greatest for older adults, people with chronic medical conditions, anyone without access to air conditioning.

We need to make sure that every New Yorker is taking this seriously as any emergency or disaster, that they take needed actions. For this reason, starting tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., we're activating our city's heat emergency plan.

We're expecting several days of dangerous heat with extreme temperatures, high humidity, with little relief overnight. This kind of heat can be deadly, especially for our most vulnerable residents. The purpose of this plan is threefold.

Number one is to protect our most vulnerable. Number two is protecting critical infrastructure, especially the grid. And number three is to communicate information to the public so that they can keep themselves and their loved ones safe, as well as helping us keep the city safe.

This response really does involve hundreds of people working across the city. And I really would like to thank all of the public servants, emergency responders, agency staff, and the poll workers who have been on the ground since earlier this week and will continue through the days ahead.

From staffing cooling centers, fielding 311 calls, managing citywide operations, conducting wellness checks, managing logistics, delivering life-saving information, they really are ensuring that New Yorkers are able to execute not only their civic duty and vote, but also they're ensuring that New Yorkers are able to go about their daily lives and be safe during this heat emergency.

So to the public servants, I really appreciate your commitment to keeping New Yorkers safe. We'll be opening nearly 600 cooling centers across all five boroughs and libraries, older adult centers, and other public buildings.

Roughly 248 of them will be open tomorrow on Sunday. These are free, air-conditioned places where you can go to escape the heat and stay safe. You can find one by going to nyc.gov/beattheheat or by calling 311.

We've also activated our advanced warning system. This alerts over 2,300 organizations. Organizations that serve older adults, people with disabilities, and others at high risk, making sure they have critical information. These partners also help us check in on people, provide support early, and get ahead of some of the most dangerous impacts of high heat.

We also have been working closely with the Department for the Aging and Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. They've been sharing information with vulnerable population, including amplifying information from all of our partners.

The Department of Homeless Services will be going into a Code Red Level 2. As they ramp up citywide outreach tomorrow starting at noon. These teams will be on the ground 24/7 offering water, checking on people who are living outside or homeless New Yorkers, and helping them get to cooler, safe places. If you see someone who may need help, please call 311 and request homeless outreach.

As the mayor said, we've been working very, very closely with ConEd. They're activating their Emergency Response Center. And they and PSEG have increased staffing levels, and been conducting outreach to LSC Life Support Equipment customers with critical information.

Additional crews are on standby to respond quickly to any outages, including at polling stations across the city. DOE has been doing incredible work this week. A/C is in all classrooms. They're monitoring temperatures. They've also issued guidance to all schools about outdoor activities and keeping students that are in our care and their staff safe.

Graduation ceremonies and outdoor events are also being closely watched. We're encouraging students and staff to stay hydrated, wear light clothing, and check directly with school and event organizers for any weather-related changes.

We've also been closely supporting the Board of Elections. We've now delivered thousands of cases of water for distribution by BOE to their polling sites. The team continues to source and place fans at polling sites without access to A/C.

This is to make sure that voters are safe, as well as poll workers, and that they're able to execute their civic duty. And this has been one of our top priorities this week. We also have contingencies in place on Election Day should any issues arise.

If you plan to vote in the upcoming primaries, anything you would consider doing during this heat, please do it outside of peak heat hours. We encourage people to go early in the day or later in the evening when it's cooler. You can call 311 or visit VoteNYC to confirm your assigned site and voting hours. Behind the scenes, New York City agencies are meeting every day to coordinate the response.

New York City Emergency Management is leading daily calls with dozens of agencies, including health, fire, police, sanitation, parks, transportation, social services, and others. These are calls where we identify key problems, coordinate solutions, and move resources in real time.

If a neighborhood needs additional cooling, if field operations must shift, if there are power issues, we're able to act collectively and we're able to do it immediately. FDNY and NYPD are well-resourced and postured. Responsible adults can go to a local firehouse and pick up a spray cap to safely open fire hydrants. I plan on doing this tomorrow with my kids.

Opening them without a spray cap reduces pressure and can make it difficult for our firefighters to fight fires. DEP is also monitoring water pressure throughout the city.

And finally, while our agencies have been working very hard and will continue to do so to deliver, there's a lot that we ask New Yorkers to do. Number one is to help us protect the grid. You know, the mayor touched on this, but really please limit your energy use outside of peak heat hours.

This includes the use of large appliances, washers, dryers. Keep your thermostat around 78 degrees or at low cool to help us reduce energy consumption.

We also ask that you check in on your neighbors, especially the elderly, those vulnerable to high heat. Please know the signs of heat illness, confusion, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, nausea, trouble breathing, hot, dry, clammy skin. These can be life-threatening. Call 911 immediately if you or someone else is experiencing these symptoms.

Please avoid going outside during periods of high heat. Please monitor the forecast and temperatures. Try to do your activities and chores earlier or later in the day when there are lower temperatures.

Make sure you're hydrating, wearing sunscreen. I'm a dad. I'll be making sure my kids are wearing sunscreen and staying hydrated. I also own pets. Please keep your pet in mind. Try not to walk them during peak hours.

Make sure that they're hydrated and in cool spaces as well. This really is a citywide emergency operation focused on one goal, keeping people safe. We have to take heat very seriously. The mayor said this, but this is one of the deadliest weather emergencies that we face in New York City.

So please make a plan. Know your cool options. Check on your neighbors. Sign up for NotifyNYC to get emergency updates in multiple languages, including American Sign Language.

You can get those by texting NotifyNYC to 692-692, by downloading the app, or by calling 311. And remember, even after the heat wave ends, homes can still stay dangerously hot.

So please keep using as many cool options as you can or as you need to. Thank you so much, and I'll turn it back over to you.

Deputy Mayor Joseph Varlack: Thank you, commissioner. And I echo your thanks to all the teams who are working hard to make sure that New Yorkers get through this heat wave. We will now have Commissioner Castro come up and translate some of our updates.

Commissioner Manuel Castro, Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs: Buenas tardes. Soy el comisionado de asuntos de los inmigrantes de la ciudad de Nueva York. Estoy junto al alcalde Eric Adams, la alcaldesa adjunta Joseph Varlack y el comisionado Iscol.

Estamos aquí para anunciar una advertencia de emergencia de temperaturas extremas en la ciudad de Nueva York. La temperatura más alta comienza hoy, sábado, y durará hasta el jueves, junio 26.

Cada verano, cientos de personas mueren por causas relacionadas al calor, especialmente adultos mayores y personas con condiciones médicas. La mayoría de las muertes ocurren en hogares sin aire acondicionado. Nuestro mensaje es urgente. Planifiquen ahora.

Si tienen aire acondicionado, úselo cuando haga calor. Prográmelo a baja temperatura, alrededor de 78 °F, para mantenerse seguro. Si no tiene aire acondicionado, existen centros comunitarios donde pueden recibir aire acondicionado activados durante emergencias por calor. Estos son espacios públicos gratuitos en los cinco condados.

Llamen al 911 o visiten nuestro sitio web para encontrar los centros que estén disponibles y abiertos ahora. También consideren otras opciones públicas, como bibliotecas, centros para personas mayores y museos.

Igual consideren opciones personales, como la casa con aire acondicionado de algún familiar o amigo. También hay opciones privadas, como centros comerciales, teatros o cafeterías. Lo importante es mantenerse seguros y saludables durante estos tiempos de emergencia por el calor.

Y un mensaje especial para los trabajadores que trabajan afuera que están expuestos al sol, como los trabajadores de construcción, los repartidores de comida o vendedores ambulantes. Tomen agua, manténgase fuera del sol y conozcan sus derechos. Pero sobre todo, cuiden su vida. El calor puede causar la muerte, y es importante mantenerse a salvo.

Igual un mensaje especial para aquellos que tienen menores o adultos en su casa, por favor cuídenlos, manténganlos fuera del calor y aseguren de que tengan la atención médica necesaria, si es que la necesitan. Muchas gracias.

Translation: Good afternoon. I am the New York City commissioner of immigrant affairs. I am standing with Mayor Eric Adams, Deputy Mayor Joseph Varlack, and Commissioner Iscol.

We are here to announce an emergency extreme temperature warning for New York City. The highest temperature begins today, Saturday, and will last until Thursday, June 26th.

Every summer, hundreds of people die from heat-related causes, especially older adults and people with medical conditions. Most deaths occur in homes without air conditioning. Our message is urgent. Plan now.

If you have air conditioning, use it when it's hot. Set it to a low temperature, around 78°F, to stay safe. If you don't have air conditioning, there are community centers where you can receive activated air conditioning during heat emergencies. These are free public spaces in all five boroughs.

Call 911 or visit our website to find available centers open now. Please also consider other public options, such as libraries, senior centers, and museums.

Also consider personal options, such as the air-conditioned home of a family member or friend. There are also private options, such as shopping malls, theaters, or coffee shops. The important thing is to stay safe and healthy during these times of heat emergency.

And a special message for workers who work outside and are exposed to the sun, such as construction workers, food delivery workers, or street vendors. Drink water, stay out of the sun, and know your rights. But above all, take care of your life. Heat can cause death, and it's important to stay safe.

Also, a special message for those who have minors or adults in your home, please take care of them, keep them out of the heat, and make sure they have the necessary medical attention, if they need it. Thank you very much.

Deputy Mayor Joseph Varlack: Do we have any other questions? Thank you.