Mother Nature just turned up the heat!
Excited New Yorkers got an early taste of summer Monday as temperatures across the Big Apple soared above 80 degrees.
Highs of 81 degrees were expected across New York City through the afternoon — sending droves of heat-deprived locals outside to soak up as much of the sun as possible.
A slew of people stripped down and were spotted sunning themselves in Central Park and other parts of the city as they embraced the spring-time rays.
The rise in mercury didn’t set any records. The hottest April 29 on record in New York City was in 1974, when the temperature hit 89.
But Monday’s heat was still significantly greater than last April 29, when “we only made it to 53 degrees,” Fox Weather meteorologist Stephanie Van Oppen told The Post.
It also was more than the city’s historically average high for the day: 66 degrees.
But Monday’s summer-like temps are going to be short-lived, the meteorologist warned.
“Just a little taste of summer for one day before things are more back to more average temperatures,” Van Oppen said.
“Unfortunately, there is a system moving through tomorrow, and we do have a slight chance of showers. It is going to bring our temperatures back into the 60s and potentially low 70s for the rest of the week.”
Temperatures were expected to drop back to 55 degrees by Monday night.
Meanwhile, highs on Tuesday were likely only to reach 62 degrees, according to the forecast.
