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WEATHER
National Weather Service

Searing heat sweeps across much of USA

John Bacon
USA TODAY
Ricardo Reyes goes running through the Coal Street Park Splash Pads in Wilkes Barre, Pa., on July 19, 2015.

Searing heat continued its stifling march across much of the nation Monday. New York City opened more than 500 "cooling centers" to combat a heat index in excess of 100 degrees.

National Weather Service spokesman Chris Vaccaro said a heat advisory was in effect for the Southern Plains, East and Southeast. As of midafternoon, more than 53 million people were under a heat advisory, all the way from Oklahoma to New York City, the Weather Channel reported.

The heat index is a measure of how hot it feels when the humidity is factored in. Heat indexes of at least 100 degrees were reported across most of the southeastern U.S.

Arkadelphia, Ark., appeared to have notched the day's record: a high temperature of 100 degrees and a heat index of 110, according to the weather service.

Georgia emergency officials tweeted out tips for staying cool — wear loose clothing, drink plenty of water and stay inside. South Carolina's Grand Strand beaches were bracing for a heat index that could reach 109 degrees Fahrenheit.

New York City emergency management officials urged residents "to take precautions to prevent serious illness that can result from the heat, especially among vulnerable individuals, such as seniors and those with chronic health problems or mental health conditions."

New York's heat problems were compounded Monday by a request from Consolidated Edison that 138,000 customers in Queens and Brooklyn conserve energy while the power company repairs equipment servicing the area.

"If we use common sense we can get over this," New York City emergency management chief Joseph Esposito said at a news conference as the city wilted under a second consecutive day of a triple-digit heat index.

Mayor Bill de Blasio asked residents and businesses across the city to set thermostats to 78 degrees to conserve energy as power use rises with the temperatures. De Blasio also asked residents to check on seniors and others who might not be properly prepared for the heat.

"New Yorkers always look out for their neighbors, and this is a moment when we really need people to," he said.

Baltimore and Washington also faced a second day of withering heat, and the weather service warned of the dangers. Temperatures in the mid- to upper-90s pushed the heat index over 100 in the afternoon in Washington, while Baltimore hovered near the mark.

Tuesday was forecast to be nearly as nasty.

The National Weather Service's Vaccaro said the unrelenting heat should ease up in a couple days.

"This is typical of mid-late July," he said. "In many places we aren't seeing records, but it's real hot and real humid. That can be dangerous."

Amid the July perspiration, U.S. scientists announced Monday that June was the hottest ever recorded for planet Earth, and that 2015 is all but assured of breaking records.

California, meanwhile was dealing with an atypical problem — a harrowing bridge collapse highlighted California's struggle with torrential rains and flooding.

Southern California, scene of historic drought for the last few years, has been getting record rain in recent days. Los Angeles, San Diego and more than a dozen other California cities set all-time rainfall records.

"We had cities that set records, in one day, for the day and for the month," said Vaccaro, adding that July is the dry season.

In San Diego, the month-to-date total of 1.70 inches, the bulk of which fell Saturday and Sunday, is more rainfall than the city had seen in the previous 101 Julys combined, the Weather Channel reported.

The heavy rains, remnants from Hurricane Dolores's rampage across the eastern Pacific, washed away an eastbound California bridge on Interstate 10, 50 miles from the Arizona border. With the westbound bridge also threatened, authorities were forced to close the highway, the primary route between Los Angeles and Phoenix.

"Interstate 10 is closed completely and indefinitely," said Terri Kasinga, spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation. The collapse, which injured one person and stranded hundreds of motorists, will force travelers between the cities to drive hundreds of miles out of their way, reported The Desert Sun in Palm Springs.

Vaccaro said some areas received more than an inch of rain. More was forecast for parts of California. Still, it's a drop in the bucket in terms of fixing the state's drought troubles.

"Any rain is welcome, but they have a long way to go," Vaccaro said. "This is a four-year drought, and it isn't going to be eradicated overnight."

Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

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