Heat Soars to Record Highs From Peoria to Big Apple

A stifling heat wave continued Monday from the plains to the East Coast, driving tourists indoors in the nation’s capital and straining power supplies in New England, where one radio station broadcast a snowstorm warning as a lark.

Temperatures rose quickly to record highs in at least 18 cities in 13 states and in Washington, where the mercury reached 102 degrees, as it did also in Des Moines, Iowa, and Peoria, Ill. The Baltimore area saw record 101-degree readings, and it was 99 in Atlantic City, N. J., and Charleston, W. Va. The high in Philadelphia and Rockford, Ill., set records at 98. New York City had a high of 97, also a record for the date.

At the Essex County House of Correction in Lawrence, Mass., about 190 inmates were transferred Monday after convicts irritated by the heat and overcrowded conditions set fire to a cellblock on Sunday. At least eight prisoners were injured and part of the building, where the cells are not air-conditioned, was destroyed.

In Washington, Monday was the 18th consecutive day of 90-degree heat or higher. Tom Murphy of the Washington Convention and Visitors Assn. said that the heat wave has not hurt tourism in the capital, but indoor attractions have been popular.

“People are trying to stay inside the museums, as opposed to walking around on the Mall,” he said. “The museums seem to be very, very crowded.”

New York City utilities reported that record demand for power caused blackouts in scattered areas, and some electrical fires were being blamed on overheated lines. Long Island, on a “power alert” status, reduced current to some customers.

Some residents of the Worcester, Mass., area must have thought they were in a time warp Monday morning, when they awoke to snowstorm warnings being broadcast over radio station WORC.

“We were just trying to help our listeners cool off,” station general manager Don Fitzgibbons said.

At 5:30 a.m., broadcaster Dave O’Gara activated the station’s storm-watch command center and told listeners a surprise snowstorm with up to 12 inches of snow had hit the city.

In reality, conditions outside were hot and humid, with the mercury approaching 90 degrees.