Blistering Heat Wave continues to scorch Calif.
Pastor Dale Morgan
Blistering Heat Wave continues to scorch Calif.
By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON,
Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES - A blistering heat wave blanketing much of the California
coast over the past week showed no signs of letting up as scorching
temperatures headed back toward triple digits.
Power was restored Saturday to almost all the 8,000 customers that were
blacked out the day before when electrical demand skyrocketed because of
the heat, said Terry Schneider, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles
Department of Water and Power.
Energy demand was expected to remain at peak levels into the weekend and
the department had about 50 crews standing by to handle any overload
problems, Schneider said.
"The system is under tremendous strain to meet the energy demand," he said.
Temperatures hit record highs up and down the state Friday, including
103 degrees at San Jose, 105 at Escondido, 106 at Burbank and 108 at San
Luis Obispo.
The heat wave has been caused by northeasterly wind preventing sea
breezes from penetrating a high-pressure system that has settled over
the West.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger directed the state Office of Emergency
Services to be on standby through the weekend.
One death has been linked to the heat, a 77-year-old woman who
apparently left her car near the California-Arizona line south of Lake
Havasu, Ariz., on Monday in search of her elderly husband, who was
hospitalized for treatment of burns. Temperatures hit 116 in the area
Monday.
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Associated Press Writers Allison Hoffman in Los Angeles and Malia Wollan
in San Francisco contributed to this report.