US heatwave strains power grid

A youth is thrown in the air as he sits on an illegally opened fire hydrant. Picture / Reuters

LOS ANGELES - A punishing heat wave pushed power use in the US Midwest to record highs on Monday and looks to do the same on Tuesday and Wednesday in New York and the Mid-Atlantic, power grid officials have said.

The eastbound heat wave will cause temperatures in Eastern cities to the upper 90s to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8C) on Tuesday local time, leading to high air conditioning use.

"Tuesday will turn viciously hot across the Northeast," said forecaster AccuWeather. "The nasty heat that has been over the Plains the past few days is in the process of heading eastward.

Power grids in the Midwest, New York and the Mid-Atlantic are expected to strain but not break during the next two days of high summer heat, officials said. But unexpected major power plant outages or transmission line breakdowns could cause rolling blackouts.

- REUTERS