Lifestyle & Culture

When the Heat is On, New Yorkers Try to Keep Cool

The heat wave that hit New York City for six consecutive days in July was brutal. Temperatures topped out at 97 degrees on July 18 and high humidity made it feel much hotter.

Despite not being a record-breaking scorcher, New Yorkers still looked for ways to cool off.

They opened up fire hydrants–exactly 900 of them on a single day, according to The New York Times–and doused themselves in the spray even though it’s illegal to do so.

They shielded themselves against the sun with umbrellas. They bought slushy drinks and ice cream and drank lots of water. They sat under the shade. They sweated it out until it was over.