Long Island forecast: Workweek to start with heat, humidity
Lilly Wylaz, 3, runs across a suspension bridge in the playground at Eisenhower Park on Sunday. Credit: Jeff Bachner
Get ready for three straight days of humidity making already hot temperatures feel even hotter, but while the weather may inspire a dip in the ocean, it will come after swimming was temporarily restricted Sunday at some Long Island beaches because of shark sightings.
A heat advisory is in place Monday for Long Island and beyond — from noon Monday until 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures are forecast to range from the mid- to upper-90s, according to an update Sunday afternoon. There will be three days of 95-degree-plus heat indexes, except for southeastern parts of Long Island, which is expected to be the coolest.
That weather means an increased risk of heat-related illness if you're outdoors for prolonged activity, if you're a senior citizen, or if you suffer from chronic ailments or lack air conditioning.
"Relief is possible," the update said, when a cold front passes, but not until around Friday into the weekend.
Sunday, fishermen catching sharks restricted swimming at Atlantic Ocean beaches, though officials and experts emphasized the risk of attacks is extremely low.
The Town of Hempstead's East Atlantic Beach and Atlantic Beach Estates were "redflagged" due to a shark catch by local fishermen. A red flag warns swimmers of severe hazards in the water.
The ocean beach at Jones Beach State Park in Wantagh in June. Credit: Corey Sipkin
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran also tweeted that Nickerson Beach was open only for waist-deep swimming Sunday due to a shark sighting at nearby Atlantic Beach.
"Fishermen catching sharks is not unusual," Gorman said. "We err on the side of safety."
He said there hasn't been a shark attack in the history of New York state parks.
Despite their fearsome reputation, since 1864 there have been just 12 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks in New York, according to the International Shark Attack File kept at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
Local experts have noted sharks are in the water even if you don't spot them, and observations this year haven't shown an increase in activity compared with the last several years.
A number of Long Island state parks were closed due to issues related to capacity, which has been restricted as part of precautions to halt the spread of coronavirus.
As of 2 p.m., Jones Beach's Field 6 and Field 2 had reached capacity, as had Robert Moses State Park, Orient Beach State Park, Sunken Meadow State Park and Hempstead Lake State Park.
As for the weather, Thursday brings a chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon with the high temperature in the mid-80s. Friday looks to be more of the same with a 40% chance of showers and temperatures in the mid-80s.
A 30% chance of showers is predicted to carry over into Saturday under mostly cloudy skies with a high in the mid-80s.
With Vera Chinese and David M. Schwartz
Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.
Unearthing a suspect: The Gilgo Beach killings NewsdayTV goes behind the scenes of the Gilgo Beach investigation, revealing the shocking findings since the arrest of Rex Heuermann. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.
Unearthing a suspect: The Gilgo Beach killings NewsdayTV goes behind the scenes of the Gilgo Beach investigation, revealing the shocking findings since the arrest of Rex Heuermann. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.
