US East Coast suffers in stifling heat
Source: Agencies |
July 24, 2011, Sunday
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Print Edition
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EAST Coast residents in the United States sought refuge on Friday from sweltering temperatures, flocking to beaches, pools and air-conditioned malls as the mercury climbed toward the triple-digits.
The temperature in New York City's Central Park hit 102 degrees Fahrenheit (36 Celsius), shattering a 1957 record of 101 degrees, according to AccuWeather.com.
The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings and advisories for wide swaths of the country's mid-section and along the East Coast from Maine to Georgia. "Heat index values will range from 105 to 115 plus today from Boston to New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Richmond, affecting millions of people along the I-95 corridor," the National Weather Service said, referring to the interstate highway connecting those cities.
Higher-than-normal temperatures were likely to hover over the eastern half of the US for "the next couple of weeks," the Weather Service said.
In Pittsburgh, city worker Brian Hilliard was sweating heavily as he tossed recycling bags into a truck. "We're drinking gallons of water, and we're just killing ourselves today."
At a nearby supermarket, teenager Jenny Marze said she had been seeking relief inside the air-conditioned store. "It's like an arctic rush in there."
The heat roasted the Midwest for nearly a week, potentially responsible for at least 34 deaths in ten states, before it moved east. On Thursday, an 18-year-old cadet at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, collapsed and died during outdoor training exercises. Military officials were investigating whether the afternoon heat played a role.
In Michigan, rolling power blackouts were instituted to help relieve stress on power plants, according to the Weather Service. It said 30,000 people were without power in Detroit.
In New York City, the heat prompted power provider Consolidated Edison to reduce voltage in some neighborhoods, a so-called brownout. The company said increased use of air conditioners could push power usage to a record.
PJM, the nation's biggest power grid operator, said consumers used a record amount of power on Thursday.
Offering a low-energy option in the heat, food bloggers posted a recipe for "Car-Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies."
"Park your car in the sun on a 100F-plus day," the recipe on Baking Bites advised. "Place baking sheet on car dashboard."
The cookies take up to three hours to bake, it said.
East Coast cities should expect to near or surpass record highs, according to AccuWeather.com.
The midday temperatures in Newark, New Jersey; and Baltimore were 104 degrees, breaking both cities' 1957 record of 101 degrees.
"Today in the Midwest and the Northeast, it's not only record heat, but the humidity is unusually high as well. It's kind of a double-whammy," said AccuWeather.com senior meteorologist Tom Kines.
Thunderstorms rolled through the Midwest on Friday, providing some relief from the stifling heat.
"There's a frontal boundary draped across central Iowa into north central Illinois that has been the focus for spotty thunderstorm development," said Jim Keeney, a meteorologist. "South of that boundary will be stuck in the heat and humidity for the next week."
The temperature in New York City's Central Park hit 102 degrees Fahrenheit (36 Celsius), shattering a 1957 record of 101 degrees, according to AccuWeather.com.
The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings and advisories for wide swaths of the country's mid-section and along the East Coast from Maine to Georgia. "Heat index values will range from 105 to 115 plus today from Boston to New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Richmond, affecting millions of people along the I-95 corridor," the National Weather Service said, referring to the interstate highway connecting those cities.
Higher-than-normal temperatures were likely to hover over the eastern half of the US for "the next couple of weeks," the Weather Service said.
In Pittsburgh, city worker Brian Hilliard was sweating heavily as he tossed recycling bags into a truck. "We're drinking gallons of water, and we're just killing ourselves today."
At a nearby supermarket, teenager Jenny Marze said she had been seeking relief inside the air-conditioned store. "It's like an arctic rush in there."
The heat roasted the Midwest for nearly a week, potentially responsible for at least 34 deaths in ten states, before it moved east. On Thursday, an 18-year-old cadet at the US Military Academy in West Point, New York, collapsed and died during outdoor training exercises. Military officials were investigating whether the afternoon heat played a role.
In Michigan, rolling power blackouts were instituted to help relieve stress on power plants, according to the Weather Service. It said 30,000 people were without power in Detroit.
In New York City, the heat prompted power provider Consolidated Edison to reduce voltage in some neighborhoods, a so-called brownout. The company said increased use of air conditioners could push power usage to a record.
PJM, the nation's biggest power grid operator, said consumers used a record amount of power on Thursday.
Offering a low-energy option in the heat, food bloggers posted a recipe for "Car-Baked Chocolate Chip Cookies."
"Park your car in the sun on a 100F-plus day," the recipe on Baking Bites advised. "Place baking sheet on car dashboard."
The cookies take up to three hours to bake, it said.
East Coast cities should expect to near or surpass record highs, according to AccuWeather.com.
The midday temperatures in Newark, New Jersey; and Baltimore were 104 degrees, breaking both cities' 1957 record of 101 degrees.
"Today in the Midwest and the Northeast, it's not only record heat, but the humidity is unusually high as well. It's kind of a double-whammy," said AccuWeather.com senior meteorologist Tom Kines.
Thunderstorms rolled through the Midwest on Friday, providing some relief from the stifling heat.
"There's a frontal boundary draped across central Iowa into north central Illinois that has been the focus for spotty thunderstorm development," said Jim Keeney, a meteorologist. "South of that boundary will be stuck in the heat and humidity for the next week."
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