Think it?s hot? Imagine working outside for a living.

?If you have to be outside, you gotta go light colors. You gotta drink a lot of water and you can't stay in the sun too long,? says construction worker Brian McVeigh. ?Guys like us, we have to stay outdoors. But you have to get in the shade every now and then. You can't stay out."

The heat is taking its toll across the Garden State as workers such as McVeigh and students feel its wrath.

Some schools were forced to have early releases Monday. Among the schools that closed early were those in Edison, Clifton, Hawthorne, Marlboro Township and Wayne Township.

Administrators at Edison High School say it was simply too hot for students to stay focused on learning. Some students also say they saw others in the nurse's office complaining about heat-related ailments.

Health officials urge people to drink plenty of water, wear loose-fitting and light-colored clothes and stay inside cool places. For those without air conditioning, experts recommend going to a cooling center.

Click for coverage of cooling centers in New Jersey

List of Cooling Centers for Heat Wave in N.J. New Jersey School Closings for Monday, Jun 9, 2008