Hochul issued the emergency Sunday evening after extreme weather impacted Upstate New York, bringing heavy rain, thunderstorms, flash flooding, and tornadoes. Some 60,000 people lost power in Central New York on Sunday and three people were killed by an early morning tornado with wind gusts of up to 105 miles per hour.
Conditions won’t get much better as a multi-day heat wave begins Monday with humidity and high temperatures expected through Wednesday.
According to the New York Post, temps could hit 100 and 102 on Monday and Tuesday in New York City, which would break 125-year-old records of 96 degrees in Central Park in 1888. In Syracuse, the national weather service predicts Syracuse will similarly break the all-time records of 92 degrees for June 23 and 93 degrees for June 24.
The humidity could make it feel even worse, preventing bodies from cooling off from sweat and keeping temps high at night. It can cause severe heat illness for people working outside or who have no way to cool down their houses. Some schools have already canceled afterschool activities or switched to half days in response.
Hochul’s state of emergency issued Sunday includes Albany, Bronx, Broome, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Kings, Madison, Nassau, New York, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Otsego, Putnam, Queens, Rensselaer, Richmond, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady, Suffolk, Tioga, Ulster, Warren, Washington, and Westchester counties.
“Our hearts break for the tragic loss of life during last night’s storms, and my administration has been in touch with local elected officials offering support,” Hochul said. “State emergency response personnel are already on the ground providing resources and support as we work to recover from this severe weather and restore power quickly. I urge all New Yorkers to stay weather aware and take precautions to stay vigilant and safe as extreme heat and severe weather are expected to continue impacting the State over the next couple of days.”
©2025 Advance Local Media LLC. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
