Tri-State bracing for potential heat wave as temperatures soar this week

NEW YORK -- City and state leaders are urging New Yorkers to prepare for extreme heat and potentially dangerous conditions this week. 

Excessive heat is the leading cause of preventable, weather-related deaths each year, particularly among the elderly. 

In these conditions, someone could easily suffer heat stroke. The symptoms include hot, dry, red skin, a rapid pulse, rapid and shallow breathing, a body temperature higher than 105 degrees, and loss of alertness, confusion, or loss of consciousness. 

State health officials recommend exercising before 7 a.m. and limiting strenuous activities between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., which are peak sunlight hours. 

Web Extra: Click here for the latest forecast and weather alerts

While CBS2's First Alert Weather Team are not forecasting all time record heat like Europe is experiencing right now, it's still important to take the extended heat wave seriously. 

Blaring sun, temperatures and humidity rising, a heat advisory goes into effect tomorrow. 

Colin Frank admits sweat is already rolling. 

"I actually had heat exhaustion a couple of times so I stay hydrated, I always carry water around," Frank said. 

Heat exhaustion is the most common heat-related illness, says Dr. Betsy Varghese of Hackensack University Medical Center… 

"People will complain of fatigue. They may have headache, dizziness," Varghese said. 

And as we ride this extended heat wave?

"Don't underestimate the impact of heat when it comes to your health," Varghese said. 

Stick with the basics: A hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, or good old fashioned shade. 

"Get ahead of the hydration," Varghese said. 

Start drinking water early in the day, and right before heading out into the heat. Always have a bottle of water with you. 

That's exactly how avid cyclist Chris Sieradzki rolls.

"Carry my water bottle with me, try to stop every 20 minutes or so to take a drink," Sieradzki said. 

He avoids hours of peak heat. 

"I take it a little bit at a time, enjoy the weather and go back in the AC," said Hoboken resident Julian Waugh. 

Waugh hails originally from England. 

"They're going though a lot of heat there, and they don't have AC in England at all," Waugh said. 

Richard Seagar, a research professor at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, says the weather we face over the next week isn't incredibly unusual for July. 

"What's been happening over there defies reason," Seagar said. 

There was a new all-time record high for the UK set Tuesday at 104.5 degrees, and a first ever red extreme heat warning issued. The human toll of the extreme heat across Europe – stifling. 

"In Portugal and Spain, actually, hundreds of people have died from heat exposure and a range of fires burning," Seagar said. 

Seager describes the heat stress as tremendous and says we can learn from it: 

"Anticipate the unexpected," he said. "Don't fight the heat and you'll be able to enjoy the heat much more comfortably."

That's precisely what Travon Carroll plans to do.   

"I actually enjoy the heat, I got the melanin for it," Carroll said. 

He'll be heading down shore to Sandy Hook. 

"I was also thinking about doing the water park at American Dream," he said. "I'm thinking about doing that just to keep cool."

CBS2's John Dias spoke with people Tuesday morning in Central Park. 

"I know a lot of people escape the city and I understand why. It would definitely be nice to be at the beach or on a lake or at a pool," Upper East Side resident Liz Kislik said. 

"I can go to 80-85, but above 85 it's too hot," said Upper East Side resident Simon Friedman. 

Tuesday's high temperatures are only the start of what forecasters predict will be a three-day stretch of warm days, with Thursday being exceptionally hot -- it could break the 100-degree mark. 

"I don't like being on the subway platform when it's a million degrees out. But you dress appropriately and you move slowly," Tribeca resident Elizabeth Hawks said. 

Linda Shah, a tourist visiting from St. Petersburg, Florida, told Dias it could be worse. 

"It's 100% humidity in Florida and it's so hot there. This is beautiful and cool compared to Florida. So it's lovely," she said. 

Doctors caution you don't need humidity to get hurt.

"Don't forget, if you're outside and you're in a non-shared area, just the mere fact of that solar energy beaming down on you can definitely take its toll on your body throughout the day," said Dr. Ernest Patti, of Saint Barnabas Hospital. 

Dr. Patti, the senior attending physician for emergency medicine at Saint Barnabas in the Bronx, says he sees an uptick in heat-related illnesses this time of year. He encourages the high-risk, both young and old, to stay inside. 

"The majority of these folks are definitely fatigued. Most of them have a tendency for dehydration," he explained. 

To help New Yorkers beat the heat, the city opened hundreds of cooling centers throughout the five boroughs, including one at a senior center on the Upper West Side. 

"Like you go right into a freezer," said resident Yvette Williams, who was there for a workout class with her friend. "I come fom Barbados, but I don't like the heat, I like the cold."

Health officials recommend drinking at least two to four glasses of water per hour, even if you don't feel thirsty. Avoid drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine. 

They also suggest eating less protein and more fruits and vegetables. Protein produces and increases metabolic heat, which causes water loss. You should eat small meals but more often, and do not eat salty foods.  

Web Extra: Click here for summer safety tips to beat the heat

If possible, stay out of the sun and in the air conditioning. The sun heats the inner core of your body, resulting in dehydration. 

If air conditioning is not available, stay on the lowest floor out of the sunshine, or go to a public building. 

Never leave children or pets in parked vehicles during these hot conditions. Temperatures inside a closed car could reach over 140 degrees quickly. 

Exposure to such high temperatures can be fatal within a matter of minutes. 

Click here to find a cooling center or here to find a pool near you.