Mad Dogs And Englishmen

As the thermometer teases triple-digits and subway platforms bake at 120+ degrees, Mayor Bloomberg has ordered the opening of the city's 455 "cooling centers" for those without air conditioning. Last year's July heat wave killed 31 city residents, mostly seniors. Meanwhile, we're on a brown-out alert.

An excessive heat warning has been issued for New York City and the metropolitan area including Newark, New Jersey, until 8 p.m. because hot weather and humidity may make it feel like temperatures are between 105 and 108. "It's going to be hot and it's going to be humid, and we want to make sure people are taking all the appropriate precautions for that," said Lauren Nash, a Weather Service meteorologist in Upton, New York. New York City residents were urged to limit unnecessary electric use as much as possible while the heat persists, according to a statement from Consolidated Edison Co.

Today's heat is expected to break the record set in 1923. Gothamist has posted a helpful NYC Heat Wave Do's and Don'ts list. My favorite:

Don't wear flip-flops in public if you're a man. Come on, dude: NYC isn't your college campus; you're not strolling across the quad with a bag of laundry and a bottle of Gatorade after an Ultimate Frisbee game. Wear proper shoes like a big boy or move back home to Scarsdale. And this is for your own good: a potentially deadly germ—Staphylococcus aureus—has been found on New Yorkers' flip-flops.

The good news is temps should drop 20 degrees for Pride.