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Becca Solender, 17, of Pikesville, adds sprinkles to a cup of ice cream at Tropicool Frozen Ice stand on Falls Road in Baltimore Monday. “We get really mobbed when camp lets out in the afternoon,” Solender said.
BALTIMORE (Map, News) - A blast of sweltering air ushered in the workweek Monday, prompting local authorities to issue heat advisories and sending residents to seek shelter from the summer’s hottest temperatures to date.
The temperature in downtown Baltimore soared to 99 degrees Monday afternoon, a record high for the year.
The above-average temperatures are expected to continue through Wednesday, with the National Weather Service predicting a high of 102 for Tuesday.
Baltimore’s eight cooling centers were open Monday after the city’s health department issued a Code Red heat alert, still in effect for Tuesday.
Howard County encouraged residents in need of cooler shelter to visit the county’s government facilities, while Harford County announced it would keep its air-conditioned senior centers open through the end of the week.
“We’re using our outreach staff to check up on the frail and elderly, to make sure they’re OK where they are,” said Beth Hendrix, deputy director of Harford’s Department of Community Services.
Baltimore Gas and Electric reported that more than 1,000 customers lost power north of Woodlawn during the day, but a spokeswoman was unable to confirm whether the outage was related to the heat.
Area hospitals were not reporting any heat-related deaths as of late Monday afternoon. According to the state’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Maryland has had one heat-related death this year — a 77-year-old Prince George’s County man who died May 29.
Like many in the region, visitors to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor tried to find ways to keep cool.
Will Sherrell, a Virginia native in town for the day, said the harbor’s water taxis offered relief from the heat. “It cooled off a lot once the boat started moving and the breeze kicked up,” he said.
Angela Jeffers, visiting the waterfront with her two sons, said the temperatures had derailed their plans to take a paddleboat out on the water.
“I thought we’d spend time on the harbor, but we decided to come inside once we got down here,” Jeffers said, sipping on an iced lemonade inside Harborplace’s Light Street pavilion. “The air conditioning in here beats roasting out there.”
The National Weather Service said Monday’s high of 99 fell short of the historical record for the date — 103, set in 1936. Baltimore’s all-time record stands at 107, set a day later that same year.
To avoid heatstroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration, state health officials advise residents to drink plenty of liquids, wear loose or lightweight clothing, stay in air-conditioned areas, and check up on elderly relatives and neighbors daily.
By the numbers
Baltimore
» Monday’s high: 99 degrees
» Tuesday’s expected high: 102
» All-time high: 107, July 10, 1936
National
» Monday’s high: 115, Death Valley, Calif.
» All-time high: 134, Death Valley, Calif., July 10, 1913
jdavisson@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
4:08 PM MST on Mon., Jul. 7, 2008 re: "High temperatures expected to last throughout the week"
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12:35 PM MST on Fri., Jun. 13, 2008
re: "Storm leaves thousands without power, closes several schools in Baltimore area"
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6:05 AM MST on Thu., Jun. 5, 2008
re: "Heavy rain, winds leave thousands without power"
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6:29 PM MST on Tue., May. 13, 2008
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4:27 AM MST on Tue., May. 13, 2008
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7:55 PM MST on Thu., Feb. 14, 2008
re: "Va. to scrutinize ice-clearing strategy after icy highways overwhelm crews"
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7:37 PM MST on Fri., Feb. 1, 2008
re: "Today's weather: More of the same"
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4:20 AM MST on Tue., Jan. 22, 2008
re: "Baltimore braces as forecasters predict prolonged cold weather"
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9:51 AM MST on Fri., Jan. 4, 2008
re: "Alameda-Oakland ferry cancels morning trips"
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MrHyphy said:
Time to chill on the block with a tank top yadadafeel me?
8 agree | 7 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Was the tree in the picture cut down? There is no breakage on the tree and looks like it was taken down by a chain saw.
9 agree | 9 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Let's not forget those of us that were stranded because MTA doesn't have a proper back up plan for light rail interuptions. Dozens of people waited for their chance to crowd onto a shuttle bus, maybe 3 showed up in the hour i waited. When lodging a complaint, the MTA rep. said they do not plan for these things. REALLY? you should always plan for how to get around an interuption in the line. But then again, its the MTA! BTW, what the hell does O'Malley ahve to do with the weather? Everyone seems to be all up in arms about relating him to the storm damage. It's an act of nature, or as some might say, an act of GOD lol. if so, GOD does not seem to be happy with those that are close minded lately.
12 agree | 10 disagree
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Steven Lessner said:
O'malley,busch,and miller would all be typical weatherman where they could lie to the public.Between the state liars and shelia dixon and her corrupt adminstration it's a race to see who can steal more tax dollars. Dixon's adminstration does a pretty good job of stealing since most of her people are black.Instead of giving a tax break she wants to give raises to her people while other people in the private sector are losing their jobs let's give raises and screw the people in the city. Dixon doesn't care about the city of baltimore, one of the most violent in the country.Just as O'Malley could care less about Maryland,this is not the "FREE STATE" anymore it's should be renamed the expensive state that has the most laws in the nation.
11 agree | 12 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
O'Malley would make a better weather man than he is a politician. He could lie about the weather and blame it on Bob Ehrlich and global warming.
11 agree | 11 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Had it not been for global warming there would be 40 inches of snow laying on the ground right now with many people losing thier lives!
9 agree | 9 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Was the issue with VDOT and /or the lack of the national /local reporting
150 agree | 171 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Virginia definitely doesn't know how to handle this type of weather, let alone do Virginia drivers know how to drive. Being from Indiana, it cracks me up to see places of business closing down because the weather report says there's a chance of snow. People need to slow down and remember what driver's ed taught them, it'll save lives.
157 agree | 162 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Cabin fever!!!
158 agree | 131 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The problem is that Virginia does not know how to handle winter weather. It's not just highways. "It was a perfect storm at a perfect time..."? Gimme a break. Just own up to not having enough DOT trucks, and to not having an efficient plan when snow/ice falls. There certainly are plenty of other states that deal with snow/ice every year, yet they don't seem to have these issues. It's amazing really.
163 agree | 157 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
ok
179 agree | 186 disagree
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Tinker said:
Just think how much colder it would be if "AL" had not invented global warming!
200 agree | 173 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Actually, there was also a 7:05 ferry from Oakland to SF that I was on - what a wild ride!
227 agree | 210 disagree
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