There are plenty of ways to cool off for the next few days - from heading to the beach to dipping in the pool, and even just staying inside with the air conditioner on.

Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke Thursday about how serious the heat is. He says it's important to stay hydrated, to take advantage of the cooling centers and to check on neighbors and loved ones.

He is also asking people to conserve energy.

"We don't want to see any interruptions. We don't want to see any outages. Turn off anything you don't need," de Blasio says.

Some local residents are enjoying the weather from the shade or braving the heat to get in a workout. Others say it's also important to make sure you're dressed in light clothes to combat the heat.

The mayor says 369 cooling centers are open Thursday - 120 of them have extended hours. Some cooling centers are allowing people to bring pets. City pools also have extended hours today.

News 12 has compiled a list of tips for you to beat the heat that you can read here.