Hot Stuff

Hot Stuff




A heat wave breaks records on the East Coast



By Jared T. Miller



President Barack Obama's speeches often spark debate across the nation. But nobody could disagree with the words the Commander in Chief spoke to reporters on Tuesday: "Stay cool out there. Hydrate."



The President gave that advice to reporters leaving the Oval Office in Washington, D.C. The nation's capital is in the midst of a heat wave that is scorching the East Coast. On Tuesday, temperatures topped 100°F from Virginia all the way to Massachusetts, and turned an otherwise relaxing summer into a rush to beat the heat.



Heated Issues



"Man, this stinks," said 14-year-old Miguel Pena, as he rode his bike in New York City. "We just got out of school and this is supposed to be when we have fun, but this is too much." Temperatures on Tuesday prompted the National Weather Service to issue heat advisories until Wednesday night. Several commuter train companies slowed their trains to avoid damaging the rails in the severe heat.



By Wednesday, the heat was more than a small inconvenience. New York's utility company Consolidated Edison reported that it was trying to restore power to the 18,700 outages customers reported a day earlier. Power outages climbed into the thousands across New Jersey and Washington, D.C. Nursing homes in New Jersey and Baltimore experienced problems with power and air conditioning, and in some cases, had to evacuate patients. In Rhode Island and other areas, an increased need for water led to a ban on water-usage outdoors.



Cool Solutions



A period of hot weather is labeled a "heat wave" when temperatures rise above 90°F for more than three consecutive days. That has been true for many states on the East Coast, with temperatures in Newark, New Jersey, remaining in the triple digits the entire time. Tuesday's record highs of 103°F in New York City and 102°F in Philadelphia broke temperature records set in 1999 in the two cities.



But individuals are working to keep things cool despite the heat. At the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, workers prepared tubs of ice cubes to keep four sick seals comfortable. The Long Island, New York, branch of the Red Cross said local businesses would help give free bottled water to day laborers working outside.



The National Weather service said the heat wave would remain for the majority of this week. Relief is expected to come soon in the form of a cool weather system coming off of the Atlantic Ocean. In the meantime, it's best to heed the President's advice: Stay cool and drink plenty of water.

Max (Hot Stuff) -The earth is getting hot in July, and the whole world(some countries)break the temperature record. In Beijing, China, it broke to 40 degrees, even pandas and apes are eating ice, tires stuck on the road, and can cook fried eggs in the road (because the road is 68.3 degrees)! And in Iran and India, it even broke to 52 degrees! Also, many people died of the “hot stuff”, more water usage, and more opening air conditioner. So it is very bad to be too hot, and it isn’t good for us.