Posted on 07/21/2006 8:43:02 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES
California set a record for power use Friday as the state continued to bake in a heat wave that has sent temperatures soaring above 100 degrees from the north to the south and may have been responsible for as many as four deaths.
The demand for electricity peaked at 4:28 p.m. when 49,036 megawatts of power was used across the state, the California Independent System Operator said. The previous record of 46,561 megawatts was set Monday.
The temperature reached 120 degrees in the desert resort town of Palm Springs, shattering a 54-year-old record for the date of 117 degrees. It was 112 in Los Angeles' Woodland Hills section, breaking the 1976 record by 2 degrees and marking the 16th consecutive day temperatures exceeded 100.
"We are on par for having one of the hottest Julys on record, at least in Woodland Hills," said National Weather Service meteorologist Jamie Meier. "And it looks like we'll continue the streak for the weekend."
In Northern California it was 109 in Stockton and 111 in Ukiah and Vacaville. In central California, it was 108 in Fresno and Bakersfield, and in the central coast region it reached 112 degrees in Paso Robles, breaking a 29-year-old record.
Death Valley, one of the hottest places in the world, reached 123 degrees.
In central California's Kern County, the coroner's office was investigating whether scorching temperatures were responsible for four deaths over the past two weeks.
In San Bernardino County, a 115,000-volt electrical circuit was interrupted several times Friday, knocking out power to about 28,000 customers, said Tom Boyd, a spokesman for Southern California Edison.
The warmth came from a high pressure area centered over much of the mountain states that is pumping moisture and hot air from Mexico across the Southwest and into the Midwest.
Highs from the 80s to the 100s were expected in the Los Angeles basin Saturday, with temperatures expected to exceed 100 in the surrounding valleys.
Officials urged energy conservation, and Los Angeles park officials planned to open "cooling stations" at senior centers across the city where they will provide free water for those seeking relief.
Well we don't happen to have air conditioning right now, and I can tell you we have fans going day and night. It is just downright hot. I am going to start the wash now....and save a little on energy!*g*
Just checked and for our area tomorrow, Northeast Los Angeles, it is supposed to be 103. I really can't take much more. It is getting to me big time.I'm a senior. you would think they would at least come door to door with water bottles for us!!*hee hee*
fyi.. you may have been one of the 28000 affected , another couple days of hot still to go..
I'm in the middle of a job from hell (2 month project). 112 degrees today with clouds and high humidity. Yuk!
Same here, and I'm in the coastal strip where it's usually much cooler than even a few miles further east.
We have been teasing with 100 degrees the last couple days, I know it's hot down south,, they may be opening up cooling centers in the area,,, it's been slowing my mother in law down , which is a good thing, in a way. ;-)
normal Texas july heat.
Kaliphs are wimps.
Who needs 'em (especially the Marxist crowd we have in Sacramento these days). They are a total waste of breathable air.
It's between 117 - 125 everyday this month where I live.
I just got home (seattle) from a week in Los Angeles and I swear it's even hotter here than it was there! The pilot said it was 98 ib seattle, and 104 in Portland (that was around 5:30 local time). I think heat waves follow me around or something as there was one in Boston the week before last when I was there.
Whew! But it's a dry heat, most of the time..
It's only 96 and change right now in Fresno. Last night, it was 98 at 10 pm.
Take your anti-California made-up-word and shove it. We aren't "kaliphs" and we aren't wimps. We may be stuck with Marxist loons in our legislature thanks to three urban centers, but the rest of the state is as red as Kansas.
Yea, well a stove is dry heat too, but would you want to stick your head in it all day??? :)
Hi Wolfstar
I am in CA now and it's plenty hot even right here at the beach. Wish you were coming with us tomorry.
We're at 80 right now,, it was 80 12 hours ago here too , cool.
Only 70 here on the North Coast of California today. It's been a nice Summer so far, very little fog, which is the norm for Summers here.
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