With a heat advisory and air quality alert in effect today New Yorkers are once again being urged to take it easy.

Temperatures are expected to peak in the mid to upper 90s.

Speaking at City Hall this afternoon, Mayor Bill de Blasio said New Yorkers should stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and to check in on elderly neighbors.

An air quality alert means there are dangerous levels of ozone in the city.

Older adults and people with respiratory issues like asthma should try to limit outdoor activities.

The city is opening cooling centers around the five boroughs today.

You can find one by calling 311 or using the cooling center finder at nyc.gov/oem.

The city is also keeping outdoors pools open one hour longer today.

Pools will be open from 11 a.m. till 8 p.m. while beaches are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Swimmers are reminded to only enter the water when lifeguards are present.

The extreme heat means power usage will be very high around the city.

And Con Edison is already dealing with some problems.

The utility was working to restore power to about 1,200 customers in Brooklyn.

Those using air conditioning units are urged to set the thermostat no lower than 78 degrees. 

The company spent most of Tuesday dealing with a power outage on the Lower East Side that was caused by a manhole fire, not the heat.

People we spoke with said it was tough getting by with no air conditioning or fans.

"Sadly it's cooler outside than it is inside, there's no air conditioning, the outlets don't work so the fans don't work," said one New Yorker.

"It's always been hot, but today it was more hot, worse than it has ever been since I've been there," said another New Yorker.

Con Ed wants all New Yorkers to watch their power usage, and to only use major appliances early in the morning or at night when the temperature is cooler.

To report a power outage call 1-800-CON-ED or go online to coned.com.