Traffic moves over the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge as smoke from Canadian wildfires casts a haze over New York City on 7 June 2023. (Photo: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / Getty Images) 
Temperatures reached 33°C in Central Park on Wednesday, surpassing the 32.8°C mark seen in June and also in April during an unusual early heat wave, according to the National Weather Service. That comes as the planet sets global heat records, underscoring the dangers of ever-increasing greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels.
The heat, along with the lingering aftermath of Fourth of July fireworks, drove local air quality to unhealthy levels earlier on Wednesday. But don’t expect new heat records in the coming days; temperatures will slowly ease into next week as a cold front moves in from the west.