The Heat Goes On, Scorching Much of the Nation

(From the nytimes.com) When people in the nation’s capital talked about an endless summer this week, they did not mean surfing or margaritas (though they surely craved them). Throughout the mid-Atlantic states, from New York to Georgia, and out through the Great Plains, the heat this spring and summer has been relentless, causing clothes, hair and spirits to wilt well before the dog days of August.

Saturday, as one meteorologist had predicted with scientific precision, was “one of those just downright awful summer days.”

Even as a tropical storm visited Florida, and California continued its strange cold streak, in much of the East a Bermuda High was pushing weekend temperatures to the 100 range and humidity beyond the tolerable.

It is not that any one day has set an all-time heat record, but a large area of the country has been assaulted by a succession of heat waves. Washington in June recorded the highest average temperature for the month since record keeping began in 1871 — including 18 days of 90 degrees or more. July is on its way to a similar unwelcome record.

In New York City, temperatures in July have averaged 5.5 degrees above normal, according to the private weather service AccuWeather.

Standing in Kansas City’s scorching sun, motorcycle police officers holding radar guns bemoaned polyester pants that cannot breathe, and said they were stuffing cooling packs inside their bullet-proof vests. Zoo officials fed ice cubes to otters and asked visitors to come early in the day, when the animals were more active.

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