Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office, said the deaths were recorded late last week and that the toll could rise since exposure to heat can have lasting effects.

"It usually takes two or three days," Ellen Borakove said.

"As the heat wave continues, it weakens the system," she said, adding that at greatest rick were "people in delicate condition."

The first deaths were recorded Thursday, the last day of record temperatures when highs broke the old mark of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) recorded in 1999, while the heat index, which takes moisture readings into account, reached 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius).

The heat prompted city officials to declare a state of emergency for the first time, dimming the lights on city landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, and ordering thermostat settings raised in public buildings.

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