Coast to Coast Heatwave, Americans Swelter Alike*

Tuesday July 10, 2007 11:46 PM

By DAVID B. CARUSO

Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - Even industrial-size fans couldn't beat the heat in
Hell's Kitchen on Tuesday.

John Alaimo, manager of a taxi repair shop in the Manhattan
neighborhood, said the fans only blow hot air around, doing little to
keep his mechanics cool.

``I buy these guys gallons of water just to keep them going,'' he said.
``I can't afford to put air conditioning in here.''

The city put up a valiant fight against the second day of temperatures
in the 90s as heat gripped the country from coast to coast. In Medford,
Ore., the temperature was forecast to hit 105. Central Park saw a high
of 92, well below the 102-degree record set in 1993, but still
unpleasant enough.

More than a week of high temperatures across the West has raised
wildfire concerns. Conditions have gotten ``super-dry,'' said Roger
Peterson, a spokesman for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.
``And it's only going to get drier over the next few days.''

In the East, the heat spread as far south as Virginia, where
temperatures in the 90s prompted state officials to issue a hazardous
weather alert. Richmond opened three cooling shelters Monday.

The West Virginia town of Bluefield offered free lemonade Tuesday after
temperatures surpassed 90 degrees the day before, following a
decades-old tradition.

In Washington, D.C., forecasters predicted a high of 96 degrees, which
would feel like 101 with the humidity.

New Jersey was more like a hothouse than a Garden State on Tuesday as
the humidity made it feel like 100 degrees in some places. But after
thunderstorms moved through in early afternoon, the temperature was down
to 85 in Trenton and 88 in Atlantic City, said Dean Iovino, a
meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

A state office building in Philadelphia, where the temperature was in
the low 90s, was closed because cooling systems weren't working
properly. About 1,000 state employees work in the 18-story downtown
building; the building was expected to reopen Wednesday.

In New York, park officials said they would keep the city's 52 outdoor
public pools open at least an extra hour. Nearly 300 cooling centers
were opened for people without air conditioning. Firefighters opened
hydrants fitted with special sprinkler caps to douse squealing children.

The operator of New York state's electrical grid said power use was
expected to peak Tuesday at more than 32,000 megawatts, enough
electricity to power about 32 million homes, as people cranked up their
air conditioners.

The weather was expected to ease somewhat Wednesday, with high
temperatures in the mid-80s.

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Associated Press writers Daniela Flores in Hopewell Township, N.J., and
Christian Salazar in New York contributed to this report.