Global oceans break June temperature record with fears they’re headed into ‘uncharted territory’

ByLaura Paddison

The Pacific Ocean at Windansea Beach on ...


The planet’s oceans are at unprecedented temperatures for this time of year, breaking the all-time June record, according to new data, with alarming implications for global weather and marine life.

On June 21, average global sea surface temperatures reached 69.5 degrees Fahrenheit (20.86 Celsius), edging above the June record last set in 2024, according to data from Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, which combines measurements from satellites, ships and buoys.

The record was echoed in another data set. Data from the Copernicus Marine Service, implemented by the non-profit Mercator Ocean International, found sea temperatures hit 69.38 Fahrenheit (21 Celsius) on June 21, beating the previous record last set in 2024 by 0.18 degrees Fahrenheit.

The abnormal heat has been driven by the onset of El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm waters along the equatorial tropical Pacific Ocean. El Niño has only just started but it may intensify into one of the strongest in decades.

Layered underneath that is the human-driven climate crisis, which is also driving up temperatures. For decades, oceans have acted as the planet’s main heat sink, absorbing 90% of the excess heat produced by humans burning fossil fuels.

“Rising sea surface temperatures are therefore not unexpected,” said Michael Meredith, an ocean scientist at the British Antarctic Survey. “But the pace of warming we are now seeing is alarming.”

It’s not yet clear whether this unprecedented June heat is temporary or a sign of things to come, but experts are expressing concern.

“Current conditions could indicate the beginning of a new phase, leading, once more, to uncharted territory,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of Copernicus Climate Change Service. “With ocean temperatures at these levels and El Niño on the horizon, we are likely to see more temperature records fall in the coming months.”

What happens in the oceans has huge implications for global weather patterns. Hotter oceans keep the air warmer, fueling heat waves; energize storms making them fiercer; and increase evaporation, boosting the chances of extreme rainfall and flooding.

Ocean heat can also lead to the mass bleaching of coral reefs, the death of other marine life and increased sea level rise.

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Woke Paris politician blames Americans and our air conditioning for Europe heat wave that has killed 1,300 people

By Ronny Reyes
Published June 29, 2026
Updated June 29, 2026, 5:02 p.m. ET

Deadly Heatwave Bakes Europe as Record Temperatures Persist

A Paris politician blamed Americans and US air conditioning for the record-breaking heat wave in Europe that has resulted in more than 1,300 excess deaths.

After US tourists mocked France over the lack of air conditioning across the country amid 104-degree temperatures, Audrey Pulvar, deputy mayor of Paris for international relations, claimed the situation was partly America’s fault.

Audrey Pulvar blamed the United States and air conditioning for the record-breaking European heat wave.

Ait Adjedjou Karim/ABACA / Shutterstock


“Dear American journalists and social media ‘influencers’: for days, some of you have been criticizing and making fun of Paris because the city does not have A/C in every room … OMG, this is so rich!” Pulvar wrote on social media.

“As the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, you bear a significant amount of responsibility for global warming and the consequences we, in France, are experiencing. Your cities, which are 90 percent air conditioned, are not unrelated to this,” she added.

“So please, enough with the lecture. Just start doing your part,” the post concluded.

France has long been resistant to air conditioning, with only 25% of households in the country equipped with such cooling units.

The reticence to install AC has been attributed to concerns over the environment, the culture, and strict building codes — but the tides have begun changing as summers get hotter and hotter.

The spat between Pulvar and Americans comes amid a record heat wave in Europe, with France experiencing a surge of deaths that have left morgues struggling to keep up.

France has recorded at least 1,300 excess deaths since June 21, the public health agency said Sunday, warning that the final figures could be higher.

California braces for power-grid test amid heat wave

By Rory Carroll | Reuters – 7 hours ago

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California's electricity grid operator issued a rare statewide alert on Thursday warning residents to curb power usage in coming days as a heat wave threatens to strain its already taxed network.

The California Independent System Operation, or CAISO, a not-for-profit corporation charged with operating the majority of the state's high-voltage grid, issued a "flex" alert urging consumers to reduce power usage especially in the afternoon, when air-conditioning dramatically ramps up demand.

A ridge of high pressure, which brought above-normal heat to the Midwest earlier this summer, is now sitting over the Four Corners region, pushing high temperatures into the upper 80s and low 90s Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) across much of California, about 5 to 10 degrees above normal, according to AccuWeather.com.

CAISO is bracing for the heat wave and struggling to compensate for the loss of the 2,150-megawatt (MW) San Onofre nuclear power plant. That plant will be offline at least through the end of the summer, following a small radiation leak.

The CAISO warned earlier that San Onofre's prolonged outage increased the possibility of rolling blackouts in Southern California, particularly in the event of extreme weather or additional generation problems.

The electric alert may serve as a reality check for state leaders and grid officials who are struggling to deal with increasing demands for more carbon-free electricity over the next few years.

California's plan to dramatically increase reliance on renewable power sources, such as solar and wind, while shutting a number of ocean-side plants that supply power around the clock will challenge power grid operators to keep the lights on.

The grid operator said Thursday's situation was exacerbated when a large power plant went offline unexpectedly.

Businesses and homes were urged to curb use during the peak consumption hours of 11:00 a.m. to 6 p.m., through Sunday.

California's two major utility companies, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and Southern California Edison (SCE), asked industrial customers to limit consumption during the hot spell, officials from both firms said.

"We are having above-normal temperatures, especially on the coast," Steven Greenlee, a CAISO spokesman, told Reuters. "We've got higher demand because of the temperatures and, as we had anticipated when San Onofre went offline, supplies are getting tighter."

EMERGENCY

The current heat wave will be the biggest test of the power grid since 2007, when a "stage 1" emergency was declared after operating electricity reserves fell between 7 and 6 percent.
CAISO has also ordered power-plant owners and transmission operators across the state to limit maintenance activities that might jeopardize equipment availability due to the high electric demands.

Despite the consumption alert, Greenlee said the state is not in danger of blackouts at this point.
"We would take other steps and release another warning before that would take place," he said.
Peak electricity demand ranges from nearly 47,000 MW Thursday, then trending downward to 43,000 MW by Monday as the above-normal temperatures abate. The state is capable of producing up to 58,600 MW, according to CAISO.

California is no stranger to blackouts, having experienced costly power outages in 2000 and 2001. It was later revealed that those blackouts were the result of power market manipulation, not supply-demand fundamentals.

The most recent major outage occurred in September of last year, when "human error" left nearly 5 million people across parts of California, Arizona and Mexico without power.

CAISO said Thursday's peak demand could reach 47,125 MW, which would surpass last summer's peak demand of 45,545 MW, set in early September. It would also exceed CAISO's forecast for peak power use this summer of 46,342 MW, under normal weather conditions.

California's all-time peak demand hit 50,270 MW on July 24, 2006 amid a heat wave. Since then, the economic recession and moderate weather have cut the state's electric needs.

Wholesale electric prices for Friday delivery in Southern California slipped to the mid-$50s per megawatt-hour, down $7 from an 18-month high set Wednesday.

Next-day power prices at the Palo Verde hub and the Mid-Columbia hub in Pacific Northwest also eased from Wednesday.

(Additional reporting by Eileen O'Grady in Houston; Editing by Dan Grebler and David Gregorio)


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US Drought to Intensify Threat to Western Crops

Tuesday, 17 Jul 2012 01:23 PM

Hot, dry weather for the next two weeks will continue to stress corn and soybean crops in the western and northern parts of the Midwest, while rainfall in the east will provide some relief to the struggling soybean, an agricultural meteorologist said Tuesday.

"The rains will be too late for corn but it will help soybeans. We see upwards of an inch to 1-1/2 inches (of rain) this week and again next week for Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky," said Don Keeney, meteorologist for MDA EarthSat Weather.

However, the drought is spreading into the western and northwestern crop belt, leading to further stress and more crop losses.

Keeney said hot, dry weather would remain the norm for the next two weeks in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, the Dakotas and southern Wisconsin.

"Temperatures will get up to 100 today in Chicago and 102 in St. Louis," he said. Cooler temperatures in the 80s and 90s are expected by the weekend, but hotter weather is likely to return next week.

The expanding drought, now considered the worst in over a half century, punished the U.S. corn crop last week.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in its weekly crop progress report on Monday, said just 31 percent of the corn crop was in good to excellent shape, down from 40 percent a week earlier and below analysts' average estimate of 35 percent.

Soybean conditions fell to 34 percent from 40 percent in the good to excellent category, below estimates for 35 percent.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a report Monday that based on the Palmer Drought Index, 55 percent of the contiguous United States was under moderate to extreme drought in June. That is the largest land area in the United States to be affected by a drought since December 1956.

Commodity Weather Group (CWG) on Tuesday said over half of the Midwest would continue with severe moisture deficits and plenty of heat, particularly in the western corn belt.

"Late pollinating and filling corn and pod-setting soybeans will see yields fall further," said CWG meteorologist Joel Widenor.

"Showers may scatter into the south and east Midwest, but relief for the belt as a whole would still be limited."

Chicago Board of Trade corn prices have soared more than 40 percent in only six weeks as crop prospects have plunged.

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Many Americans have throwback Independence Day with no power

Published: Wednesday, July 04, 2012, 7:30 PM

By Cathy Hughes, The Times-Picayune

George Washington never had air conditioning, but he knew how to keep cool: a mansion at Mount Vernon, Va., with lots of windows elevated on the banks of a wide, rolling river and lots of ice cream, maybe with a little brandy. It was a little like the old days without electricity Wednesday, as the nation's capital region celebrated Independence Day the better part of a week into a widespread blackout that left millions of residents sweltering in 90-plus degree heat without air conditioning. Utilities have slowly been restoring service knocked out by a freak storm Friday from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic, and at least 26 people have died in the storm or its aftermath.

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The Associated Press
Gail Cassidy, a manager of interpretation, holds up a bowl of chocolate ice cream during a demonstration at George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, Wednesday, July 4, 2012 in Alexandria, Va. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

At George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, one of the most popular Fourth of July attractions was a demonstration of 18th-century ice cream making, one of Washington's favorite desserts. Historical interpreters Gail Cassidy and Anette Ahrens showed the crowds how cocoa beans were roasted and ground into a paste for chocolate ice cream, made using ice hauled up in massive blocks from the Potomac River and stored underground to last as long into the summer as possible.

As for beverages, Washington was no stranger to alcohol, enjoying imported Madeira wine from Portugal, distilling his own whiskey and enjoying a fruity brandy cocktail called Cherry Bounce.

Washington was his own architect at Mount Vernon, "and he was very good at it," said Dennis Pogue, associate director for preservation at Mount Vernon. The piazza, which runs the length of the mansion, is "kind of California living in the 18th century," Pogue said.

The location, atop a sloping hill along the Potomac, catches cool breezes. Lots of windows and shutters allow for the regulation of sun and wind. And the distinctive cupola on the mansion roof serves as the mansion's air conditioning unit, funneling hot air out the top and drawing cooler air in at the ground level.

Visitors on Wednesday gathered on the mansion's back porch, a piazza overlooking the Potomac where breezes rolled through.

"It feels good out here. It's the same thing we do in Texas," said Chris Moore of Austin, Texas, sitting with his wife, Dina. The two had come to Virginia to see their son graduate from officer training at The Basic School at Quantico Marine Corps Base.

Moore said he opted for the smaller crowds at Mount Vernon as opposed to the massive Fourth of July Celebration on the National Mall because it afforded a better place to relax and contemplate the founding of the nation, especially since Mount Vernon on Wednesday hosted a naturalization ceremony for 100 new citizens from 47 different countries.

"This place is incredible. It's just the kind of place that people need to see," he said, noting the divided nature of the country's current politics. "We all need to step back and look at where we started."

Up the river in Washington, President Barack Obama also attended a naturalization ceremony at the White House, this one for active service members from 17 countries. Military families were invited for a barbecue and to watch fireworks on the South Lawn.

Obama said the varied backgrounds of those taking the oath typified America's long tradition of welcoming immigrants from around the world to its shores.

"Unless you are one of the first Americans, a native American, we are all descended from folks who came from somewhere else," he said. "The story of immigrants in America isn't a story of them. It's a story of us."

Presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has spent most of the week off the campaign trail with his family in in Wolfeboro, N.H., but took time Wednesday to march in the town's Fourth of July parade.

In New York, about a dozen disabled soldiers — most triple or quadruple amputees — visited ground zero ahead of the usual throng of tourists. The visit was intended to salute service members who survived the post-9/11 wars to become miracles of modern medicine, and to promote two charities raising money for homes custom-built to ease their burdens.

On Coney Island, Joey Chestnut ate his way to a sixth straight win at the Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, tying his personal best in a sweaty, gag-inducing spectacle. The 28-year-old nicknamed "Jaws" scarfed down 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes in the sweltering summer heat to take home $10,000 and the mustard-yellow belt.

The city's celebration was expected to capped with the Macy's 4th of July Fireworks show off Manhattan later in the night, with 40,000 aerial shells will be launched from five barges.
Many Americans abandoned their holiday plans after going without power from violent storms that hit Friday across the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest.

Jeanette Oliver had planned to have her relatives over to her Vineland, N.J., home, but the ongoing power outage forced her to change those plans on the fly this week.

"They had been saying most people would have (electrical) service back by Wednesday, but we didn't want to risk having a big party in a home where you couldn't turn on the air conditioning, you couldn't turn on a TV or a computer," Oliver said outside a supermarket early Wednesday. "Several people in our family are elderly, and you don't want them suffering with the heat and being uncomfortable."

Sarah Lenkay and her roommates, who lost power in Columbus, Ohio, Friday evening, didn't have power back until around midnight Wednesday. They weren't too excited about the holiday, because the last few days have been so miserable.

"I'm just enjoying the comfort of my home right now, and cleaning and getting things in order," she said. "So I'm not really doing much. It feels great."

Matthew Barakat of The Associated Press wrote this report. Tom Hays and Colleen Long in New York, Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, N.J., Julie Pace in Washington, Kasie Hunt in Wolfeboro, N.H., and Barbara Rodriguez in Columbus, Ohio, contributed.

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Heat wave expands, as do signs of the times: buckled roads

Travis Long / The News & Observer via AP

Workers wait for asphalt to arrive after removing a section of westbound I-440 that buckled in triple-digit temperatures on June 29 near Cary, N.C.

Buckled roads were just some of the frustrations still facing millions on Thursday.

In Chicago, soaring temperatures forced 17 public schools without air conditioning to cancel summer classes on Thursday, NBCChicago.com reported. Additional closures are possible in the days to come.

The Mid-Atlantic region was also struggling to get back to normal after the deadly storms.

Utility and municipal crews worked through the July 4th holiday to restore power and remove downed tree limbs. Officials blamed the storms for 26 deaths.

More than 2 million customers at one point lost power from the storms that converged on Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., Indiana, Ohio and New Jersey on Friday. They packed winds topping 80 mph in some places, uprooting trees and damaging homes.

Much of the damage to the power grid was blamed on last weekend's rare "derecho," a big, powerful and long-lasting wind storm that blew from the Midwest to the Atlantic Ocean.

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Lack of power puts damper on July 4th celebrations

A United States flag waves next to carnival rides as fireworks burst in the air during the Fourth of July Independence Day show at State Fair Meadowlands, Tuesday, July 3, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

By JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press July 4, 2012 8:40AM

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic were preparing to spend the Fourth of July like America’s founders did in 1776, without the conveniences of electricity and air conditioning.

Power outages from Friday’s storm altered planned celebrations in a host of ways and left powerless residents grumbling that America’s birthday would hardly be a party. Cookouts were cancelled or moved to homes with power. Vacation plans were altered. Some residents without power said they weren’t in a holiday mood. And even some whose power had been restored said they had run out of steam to celebrate in the way they had planned.

Friday’s storm arrived with little warning and knocked out power to 3 million homes and businesses in states from West Virginia to Ohio and Illinois. Officials blamed 24 deaths on the storm and its aftermath, and power companies in some places estimated it could be the weekend before everyone’s power is restored. More than 900,000 homes and businesses remained without power early Wednesday.

As a result, power repairs were taking priority over parties in many parts. At least four planned fireworks displays were cancelled in Maryland because of the outages, with officials saying they couldn’t spare police and fire resources for the festivities.

In Rockville, Md., officials called off their celebration because trees and wires were blocking two of the three entrances to the college campus where fireworks were planned. In Gaithersburg, Md., Acting City Manager Tony Tomasello said his city, about 30 minutes north of Washington, cancelled its display because a power company is using its planned celebration location, a fairgrounds, as a staging area for repairs. Hundreds of bucket trucks park there when crews finish their 16-hour shifts, and transformers, gravel and poles are being stored there too.

“Everyone’s disappointed. We’re disappointed,” Tomasello said of cancelling the celebration, adding that it would be rescheduled.

In West Virginia, meanwhile, officials urged people to resist the temptation to set off fireworks at home because the risk of fire is too high. Many brown, crunchy lawns were already potential fuel, but the trees and limbs that fell during the storm have added even more tinder.

Some people affected by the storm were too tired or frustrated to think about fireworks, parties or planned holiday travel. Dennis Andrews, 62, of Ellicott City, Md., had planned to go to Myrtle Beach, S.C. But after spending 14 hours cutting trees that fell on his property, Andrews, who runs a construction equipment rental company, said he was ready to relax by the pool instead.

Other parties were toned down, cancelled or moved. LaJuan Barnett, 44, who runs a daycare in Waldorf, Md., planned a more modest celebration with hot dogs and hamburgers after throwing out at least $350 in spoiled food and spending another $200 on groceries Tuesday.

“We’re on a budget,” said Barnett, who got her power back on Monday night, after nearly 72 hours.

Power outages and spoiled food also changed the plans of Sharvey Smith, 39, of Baltimore. Smith had begun preparing for an Independence Day party before the storm hit, buying chicken and spare ribs and planning a small gathering on her back porch. But that food spoiled when her power went out, so her party is off.

She planned to spend Wednesday’s holiday at her parents’ house 10 minutes away, which has electricity, and where she and her family have been staying. But her patience is wearing thin.

“I want to go back home,” said Smith, adding that she calls the power company number three or four times a day to check on her power.

So far, the estimated time it will be back on is no earlier than Thursday.

The party Potomac, Md., resident James Gangler, a retired computer technician, planned to attend at his former boss’ house was cancelled because of the outage. Although the cancellation email was sent Saturday, Gangler didn’t see it until his own power returned Monday.

“I’m glad I saw it because I would have shown up there all by myself,” he said.

A nearby swimming pool has reopened and that’s where Gangler’s wife Anna plans to celebrate the Fourth. But Gangler said he’s looking forward to some cool relaxation at home.

“I’m just going to stay in and enjoy the air-conditioning and the quiet,” he said.

In other iconic Fourth of July places, though, plans remained unchanged.

Fireworks on the National Mall in Washington were going forward. At George Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in Virginia, where power was initially off for 12 hours after the storm, plans for birthday cake and ice cream making were on. And in Colonial Williamsburg, the restored 18th century Revolutionary capital of Virginia, there were plans to celebrate with fifes and drums, musket and cannon fire, and a reading of the Declaration of Independence.

In Williamsburg, partying like it’s 1776, isn’t anything new, said spokesman Jim Bradley.

“In a sense we do that every day, no matter what the weather,” Bradley said.

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Associated Press writers David Dishneau in Potomac, Md., Alex Dominguez in Ellicott City, Md.; Vicki Smith in Morgantown, W.Va., and Michael Felberbaum in Richmond, Va.

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Heatwave causes brownouts in NYC as power use spikes

The stadium is reflected in the glass as young fans sit in an air-conditioned restaurant and watch the New York Mets play the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning of their MLB National League baseball game at CitiField in New York, July 21, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Ray Stubblebine

NEW YORK | Fri Jul 22, 2011 12:51pm EDT

(Reuters) - A brutal heatwave caused brownouts as homes and businesses in New York City and Westchester County crank up their air conditioners and could push power usage to a new all-time record on Friday, said power provider Consolidated Edison.

Power companies across the Northeast, including Con Edison, said they had enough electricity to meet the demand, but warned heavy usage could stress some power lines and generating facilities, which could leave some customers in the dark temporarily.

Con Edison reduced the voltage, a so-called brownout, due to equipment failures in several neighborhoods in Westchester and Queens overnight, affecting more than 100,000 customers.

The company said it fixed the problems and ended both the Queens and Westchester brownouts Friday morning.

Customers do not lose power in a voltage reduction. Con Edison had only 500 customers without power early Friday.

Many customers do not notice the voltage has been reduced. The reduction primarily affects things like incandescent lights, hot water heaters and some motors.

The U.S. National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning until 10 p.m. EDT (0200 GMT) for the New York City area.

Temperatures in New York will reach 99 Fahrenheit (37 Celsius) on Friday with the humidity making it feel more like 112 F, according to weather forecaster AccuWeather.com.

The heatwave will not break until Sunday when the mercury returns to more normal levels in the 80s and low 90s F.

Con Edison said usage peaked at 12,710 megawatts on Thursday. That was shy of the all-time record of 13,141 MW set in August 2006 before the economic recession weakened demand.

The company said demand could top the record on Friday.

VOLTAGE REDUCTION

Con Edison said it reduced the voltage in parts of central and western Queens early Friday morning affecting about 107,000 customers due to problems on electrical equipment.

Con Edison reduced the voltage in parts of Westchester, including the towns of Elmsford, Greenburgh, Ardsley, Irvington and Tarrytown, affecting about 29,000 customers.

Both voltage reductions ended Friday morning.

The company reduced the voltage in both areas as a precaution to protect equipment and maintain service as crews work to repair the problem.

During the voltage reduction, Con Edison asked customers in the affected areas not to use appliances such as washers, dryers, air conditioners and other energy-intensive equipment and to turn off lights and televisions when not needed.

In addition to the customers affected by the voltage reduction, Con Edison urged all consumers to conserve power to help keep the lights on and air conditioners humming.

Con Edison and other energy service providers in the state and across the U.S. Northeast activated some of their demand response programs, which pay consumers to reduce power usage during peak times when needed.

Customers can reduce their power usage by turning up the air conditioner thermostat, turning off lights, elevators and other electrical equipment, and for those with backup generators on site, producing their own electricity.

(Reporting by Scott DiSavino; Editing by John Picinich and Lisa Shumaker)

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The "Heat Dome" Is Here

Thursday, Jul 21, 2011 | Updated 7:19 PM EDT

Dangerously high temperatures in the D.C. area kept emergency room workers busy Thursday. As Jackie Bensen reports, even those accustomed to working outdoors in the summer were overcome by the extreme heat.

You probably saw this coming, too. Three straight days of 100 degrees have been in the forecast all week, so why not three straight days of excessive heat warnings?

A warning has been issued for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Furthermore, today's warning has been extended two hours to 10 p.m., and Friday's warning has been expanded by four hours and will be in effect from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m.

News4 Chief Meteorologist Doug Kammerer doesn't expect any record high temps, but highs of 100 three days in a row has only happened three times before in D.C. history.

We didn't quite get there Thursday, at least not at Reagan National Airport, where the high reached 99 degrees and the heat index 112.

By 2:30 p.m. Thursday, the heat index had reached 120 in Calvert County, Md., and 125 in Fredericksburg and Warrenton in Virginia, Kammerer reported. Late Thursday afternoon, the heat index was at 118 in LaPlata and 119 in Huntingtown.

Friday will be worse, Kammerer said. He again expects a possible high of 101 Friday and triple digits again Saturday before we see any relief from a cold front expected to move in Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Along with the heat and humidity, the region also has to deal with poor air quality. The breeze helped out Thursday, but it will not hang around for Friday, meteorologist Chuck Bell reported. A Code Red air quality alert will be in effect Friday. Everyone should limit strenuous outdoor activity because the air is unhealthy to breathe. Turn off as many lights and appliances as possible, don't drive if you don't have to, do not apply chemicals to your lawn or garden, and avoid mowing.

Stay indoors if you can, but if you have to go out, keep your physical activity to a minimum. Stay hydrated and look out for the elderly and pets.

In the midst of the skyrocketing temps, one of the old standbys for staying cool -- the Warwick Pool in Alexandria, Va. -- temporarily closed due to a telephone outage, because health department guidelines insist a public pool can't be open without a working landline. The pool had reopened before 3 p.m.

Maryland State Police are on the look out for stranded drivers to help them in the heat. Troopers are directed to help drivers with disabled vehicles as quickly as possible through Friday, police said. Drivers should be sure to carry plenty of water and a working cell phone and, of course, should not leave a child or pet in a car alone.

Virginia State Police also are on heightened alert for disabled vehicles. They're asking motorists to make sure their vehicles are in top shape, their gas tanks and other fluids filled, and their tire air pressure checked. But if you do need to fill your gas tank, try to do it early or late when the heat isn't so bad because of the air quality.

The Maryland Transit Administration is taking steps to protect MARC trains, equipment and passengers during the heat wave, saying the severe heat pushes equipment to the limit. The agency will aggressively address issues as they occur and resolve them as quickly as possible.

In June 2010, hundreds of passengers were stranded for two hours on a broken-down MARC. Several were treated for heat-related issues.

At Union Station in Washington, water coolers will be provided.

Metro riders should remember that the transit agency is often dealing with air conditioning problems, so if you wind up on a hot car, get off at the next stop, walk down two cars and get back on. Metro railcars operate as pairs so every two cars share the same problem.

Power companies are preparing to deal with outages. Pepco and Baltimore Gas & Electric say the region's power supply is expected to be enough to meet demand, but the utilities are advising customers to take steps to save energy. Pepco and BGE are staffing to quickly address any equipment issues that may arise from heat or potential storms resulting from the heat.

Set air-conditioning thermostats at 78 degrees and use an electric fan, which doesn’t require as much energy, and the air will seem cooler without sacrificing comfort.
Keep window shades, blinds, or drapes closed to block the sunlight during the hottest part of the day and retain cooler air inside your home or business.
Limit the use of electrically heated water and turn off non-essential appliances and as many lights as possible.
Limit opening refrigerator or freezer doors.
Postpone using high-energy appliances like electric stoves, washing machines, dishwashers and dryers until the evening.

This NOAA animation shows the predicted high temperatures through Thursday:




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