As if you didn’t already know how hot it is, this is from New York 1.

The city remains under a heat emergency Wednesday with temperatures
expected to climb as high as 103 degrees, pushing the demand for
electricity to record highs for the second day in a row.

Despite pleas from Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Con Edison to
conserve energy, the city broke a record for power use Tuesday when
demand hit more than 13,100 megawatts at 5 p.m. According to the
utility, overall electric consumption has grown by nearly 20 percent
over the last 10 years.

The city is still asking New Yorkers to set air conditioning
thermostats at 78 degrees and completely turn the A/C off when no one’s
home. Heavy appliances like washers should only be used early in the
morning or late at night when demand for power is lowest.

There is also a state air health advisory in effect for today and
tomorrow. People with respiratory problems are urged to stay inside as
much as possible.

As was the case Tuesday, the city is doing its part to help people
keep cool, extending hours at its 380 cooling centers around the five
boroughs, keeping public pools open later than usual, and handing out
bottles of water in various locations.

With the scorching weather this week, the city’s power grid is being stretched to the limit.

Scattered outages are being reported all over the city and Con Ed
crews are out working in many neighborhoods, including Sunset Park,
Brooklyn where some residents stood around on the street, waiting for
Con Ed to restore power to their area.

Some said the prospect of getting up and going to work was pretty unbearable after suffering through Tuesday night.

"There’s no possible way to keep cool,” said Jason Cortes, who lost
power Tuesday night. “There’s no light whatsoever, the A/Cs aren’t
working. It’s just hot, disgusting. I gotta be at work in three hours.
It’s just hot, it’s horrible."

"It was just a big ‘kaboom!’ Everybody heard. The car alarms just
went off and all the lights went off completely," said Crystal Mendez
who also lost power.

Overnight, the power was also knocked out to other parts of
Brooklyn and Queens. Firefighters were doing double-duty early
Wednesday morning in Ozone Park, battling a manhole fire and downed
wires.

Con Ed is reminding New Yorkers to conserve energy and asks New Yorkers to report any outages by calling 1-800-75-CONED.

The city has decided to make summer school attendance optional
Wednesday because of the blistering heat. The Department of Education
says while teachers and supervisors will be in schools and classes will
go on, students are not required to attend. In a letter to parents, the
DOE says no student will be marked absent for not attending summer
school for the day.

The NYC Office of Emergency Management has some tips on how to beat the heat:

Stay out of the sun. When in the sun, wear sunscreen (at least SPF 15). Avoid strenuous activity. Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothes that cover as much skin as possible to prevent sunburn. Give your body a chance to adjust to extreme temperature changes. Drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids. Water and diluted juices are your best choices. Stay away from carbonated drinks. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol can actually harm one’s ability to cool oneself. Those on fluid-restricted diets or taking diuretics should consult their physician. Use shades or awnings. Keep rooms well-ventilated with air conditioners and fans. Keep your windows open if you don’t have a fan or air conditioning. Cool down with repeated cool baths or showers. Consider going to public pools and air-conditioned stores and malls. Never leave children, pets, or those who require special care in a park ca during periods of intense summer heat. Make a special effort to check on your neighbors during a heat wave, especially if they are seniors, young children, and people with special needs. Many older New Yorkers live alone and could suffer unnecessarily in the heat because they are isolated from friends and family. Seniors and others who may be sensitive to extreme heat should contact friends, neighbors, or relatives at least twice a day during a heat wave. Seek help if you feel symptoms of heat-related illness. Find a cooling center. If you need help locating a cooling center, you can call 311 or visit www.nyc.gov. For copies of the city’s "Beat the Heat" guide in several languages, visit www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/ready/heat_guide.shtml. Finally, the Brooklyn Public Library is offering residents a way to beat the heat. All this week the Central Branch at Grand Army Plaza is offering a slew of special events from art classes to movie screenings, all in air conditioned spaces and all free of charge. The library is open Tuesday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. And if you’re just looking to stay cool, the library is encouraging residents to visit any one of its 60 branches.