New York City in August: what to expect

August is the tail of the New York summer: hot, humid and often hazy, with the heat index doing more damage than the raw number. Mornings are the usable window. By early afternoon the pavement radiates and the subway platforms are the worst part of the day, so plan a museum, a film or a long lunch between about 1pm and 4pm.

Rain usually arrives as a short, violent afternoon or evening thunderstorm rather than a grey all-day drizzle. Carry a small umbrella and treat a downpour as a 30-minute pause, not a lost day. The bigger wildcard is the tropics: late August is the start of the Atlantic hurricane season's busy stretch, and while New York rarely takes a direct hit, a storm tracking up the coast can bring a day or two of heavy rain and wind. Check the forecast 48 hours out if you have outdoor plans.

This is peak season on both counts. School holidays in the US and Europe, plus the run-up to Labor Day, keep hotels near their annual ceiling, and the cheapest rooms in Manhattan sell out first. Staying in Brooklyn, Queens or Jersey City with a subway or PATH ride into Manhattan is the standard way to cut the bill without losing much time.

Expect queues at the obvious places: the Empire State Building and Edge observation decks, the Statue of Liberty ferry, the Metropolitan Museum and the High Line. Timed-entry tickets, booked online a few weeks ahead, remove most of the waiting. Weekends are noticeably heavier than weekdays, and the last weekend of the month, around Labor Day, is the busiest of the summer.

Build the day around shade and water. The High Line and the Brooklyn Bridge walk are best before 10am. Midday belongs indoors: the Metropolitan Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, MoMA or a movie theatre. Late afternoon, head for the water — the Staten Island Ferry is free and gives you harbour views with a breeze, and Governors Island, Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Rockaways all work for a swim or a picnic.

For a full escape from the heat, the beaches are reachable by subway: Coney Island and Brighton Beach on the D, F, N and Q, and the Rockaways on the A. Upstate, the Catskills and the Hudson Valley are two hours by car or train and several degrees cooler. If you have a spare day, the Berkshires and the Jersey Shore are both realistic day trips.

Light, loose clothing in breathable fabrics, plus one layer for aggressive air conditioning — museums, shops and the subway run cold. Comfortable broken-in shoes matter more than anything else here; you will walk 15,000 steps without trying. Add a refillable water bottle, sunscreen, sunglasses, a small umbrella and a light rain shell. If you plan on the beach or a rooftop pool, pack swimwear; if you are heading upstate, add a warmer layer for the evening.

July is hotter and just as busy, with the same afternoon-storm pattern. September is the better month on almost every measure: the humidity breaks, crowds thin after Labor Day and hotel prices fall, while the water stays warm enough to swim. October is the best all-round month for walking, with cool, clear days and the start of the foliage season. If your dates are flexible, shift the trip a few weeks later.