Why the Lower East Side gets so hot in summer

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - You'd have been hard-pressed to find anywhere in New York City that wasn't sweltering on Monday—Day 3 of a heat wave—but Manhattan's Lower East Side isn't just hot; it's one of the hottest neighborhoods in the five boroughs.

And not because of the people. It has to do with the limited vegetation, the crowds of people, and the topography.

"Based on topography, the lower you are in elevation, usually that tends to be a higher temperature than the higher you are in elevation," Fox 5 Chief Meteorologist Nick Gregory said.

And if you struggle on days like Monday, Gregory said that you can thank the westerly wind.

"The wind actually comes down from the Pocono Mountains, let's say, and that air kind of compresses—and it compresses and gets hot," he said. "And that's why we see those hotter temperatures."

The Lower East Side is one spot. Others hot spots include East Harlem, the Bedford Park section of the Bronx, and LaGuardia and Kennedy airports.

The coolest areas are by the water, of course. Think Battery Park and Washington Heights. And if you can't make it there, just know the first day of winter is 172 days away.