A great warmy heat wave in the central and southern United States has killed at least 22 people this week, and forecasters Wednesday said the heat was moving east and could last for weeks.The National Weather Service said 141 million people in more than two dozen states were under a heat advisory or warning because of the soaring temperatures. The country's midsection has been scorched off and on since late May.
Some cities already have experienced temperatures in the 100s, and the combined heat and humidity could push the so-called “real feel” temperatures to 115 degrees through Saturday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.
In Chicago, the heat triggered unhealthy smog levels to the extent that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency urged people to reduce polluting activities such as idling vehicles and mowing lawns.
Grid operators say they are prepared for the increased demand. According to the major operators in the Northeast and Midwest, power usage this week is the highest it’s been all year, but usage is still shy of record peaks. Texas and the southern Plains states will extend a long streak of hot weather. On Wednesday Oklahoma was expected to suffer its 30th day of triple-digit temperatures this year.
To meet demand, utilities are firing up special power plants used only a few days a year, delaying scheduled maintenance in order to keep all equipment on line and testing heat-sensitive switches and other equipment with high-tech devices like thermographers that can gauge temperatures to one-tenth of a degree.
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