Meteorologists warned that predicted storms could increase the risk of power outages. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
A sprawling and dangerous heat wave gripping much of the central and eastern United States is raising concerns about power demand and outage risks ahead of the Fourth of July holiday. Tens of thousands of customers are already without electricity, and more storms are threatening to knock out power in parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes.
Outages down from Tuesday night, but risks remain
More than 100,000 customers were without power nationwide Wednesday afternoon, down from more than 167,000 outages reported Tuesday night. While that number is not highly unusual for this time of year, AccuWeather meteorologists warn that the combination of extreme heat, surging air conditioning demand and rounds of thunderstorms could quickly push outage totals higher again.
The outages come as more than 250 million people face dangerous weather conditions under a massive heat dome that will send actual temperatures into the 90s and lower 100s across many areas from the Plains to the Atlantic and Gulf coasts this week. AccuWeather RealFeel® Temperatures are forecast to reach 100 degrees or higher for several hours in many locations, with some major cities topping 110 at times.
