Thunderstorms rolling into the tri-state are beginning to break the heat wave that’s stifled the area for much of the week.

A heat advisory remains in effect until 7 p.m. Friday for the five boroughs and much of New Jersey. Though temperatures aren’t expected to exceed the lower to mid-90s, the humidity will make it feel more like 100 degrees.

Heavy rain has begun to move into the area, and a severe thunderstorm warning has been issued for southern Ocean County in New Jersey, where hail, lightning and flash flooding are being reported.

The weekend is forecast to bring relief from the heat and humidity, with scattered showers Saturday morning giving way to a beautiful Sunday with a high of 82 degrees. Temperatures fall back into the seasonal 70s by the beginning of next week.

Record highs were recorded Wednesday at John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark International Airports. The pavement sizzled outdoors and utilities, facing scattered outages due to high usage by New Yorkers desperate to cool down, asked customers to conserve power inside.

On Thursday, Central Park saw a high of 94, which was not enough to break any records but was brutal nonetheless. Emergency management officials called on residents to stay in air-conditioned places if possible, stay hydrated and check on elderly neighbors.

Con Edison is reminding New Yorkers to be energy efficient and offers tips like closing off unused rooms, using big appliances in the early morning or late evening and keeping air conditioners clean.

The utility’s website showed some scattered outages Friday morning across the city and Westchester County after it had to reduce voltage to several Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods Thursday due to electrical problems.

(Source: NBC New York)