Midwest, Plains seek relief from heat wave

CHICAGO -- The blowtorch heat that blistered California last week gripped the Midwest on Monday, prompting communities to throw air-conditioned buildings open to the public and endangering millions of people with outdoor jobs -- including NFL players in training camp.

Temperatures throughout the Midwest and Plains rose into the upper 90s and in some places exceeded 100 degrees. The heat index, a measure of temperature plus humidity, climbed as high as 110. The National Weather Service issued heat warnings for such cities as Chicago, Cincinnati, Dayton, Ohio, and Tulsa, Okla.

The Midwest could get some relief by Wednesday, but the worst of the heat was expected to drift into the Northeast today, bringing scorching temperatures to New York, Washington and Boston.

NFL teams closely monitored players for signs of heat-related illness. The heat prompted the Chicago Bears to cancel morning practice at training camp in Bourbonnais, Ill.

In Chicago, cooling centers were opened -- air-conditioned recreation centers and other buildings to the public to prevent a repeat of 1995, when a heat wave killed 700 people in Chicago.

In California, the sweltering heat that punished the state for two weeks subsided, but the number of confirmed or suspected heat-related deaths climbed to 164 as county coroners worked through a backlog of cases.

Cities across the Midwest urged neighbors to check on the elderly and disabled. Utilities expected to set records for power usage and asked customers to conserve electricity to prevent blackouts.

About 110 large industrial customers in Wisconsin had their electricity turned off because of the heightened demand. Wisconsin Power and Light Co. said those customers pay a lower rate throughout the year, but the utility can shut off their power when demand increases.

In Chicago, officials made available a special telephone line to request checks on vulnerable neighbors and friends. The Department of Human Services and police responded to nearly 50 such requests by early Monday. The city's Department of Aging also telephoned more than 300 senior citizens to offer help, such as rides to cooling centers.

The Cook County medical examiner's office reported two heat-related deaths Monday. Both victims were men in their 50s or 60s with heart disease. In Oklahoma, authorities reported two more deaths that happened over the weekend.

In Wisconsin, sheriff's deputies put a high priority on responding to calls about disabled vehicles. "When it's 100 degrees and you've got kids in the car, that's not good," said Waukesha County Sheriff's Lt. Thom Moerman.

Burlington County, N.J., offered free fans to poor people and the elderly.

The weather posed special risks for people with outdoor jobs, such as construction workers and delivery drivers.

Jerry Wall, who collects coins from parking meters in Tulsa, Okla., said he tries to work in the shade of buildings whenever possible. But "there's no good way to do it on days like today," he said.

In the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, a youth swim team cut practice short because the water temperature rose to 80 degrees, about 10 degrees above normal. "When the water is a lot hotter, you get more fatigued a lot easier," said Jenny Bussey, 17.

Cleveland's mayor said city recreation centers would be open Monday and today to provide relief from the heat. The mayor of Akron, Ohio, opened four cooling centers.

"So many of us live and work in air-conditioned environments, we may not realize how dangerous this oppressive heat truly is for those who do not," Mayor Donald Plusquellic said.

By the evening rush hour, authorities closed a bridge spanning the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland because the heat had caused the steel to expand and prevented parts from fitting together properly.

In Nebraska, high temperatures, a drought and strong winds combined to feed enormous wildfires near the Panhandle town of Harrison.

In Terre Haute, Ind., the heat was a concern for many players attending the season's first Indianapolis Colts practice. Two-time MVP Peyton Manning said players have taken the danger seriously ever since the death of Vikings tackle Korey Stringer, who collapsed five years ago from heat exhaustion in training camp.

"So guys try to be smart about it," Manning said.

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Associated Press writers Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio; Shaun Schafer in Tulsa, Okla.; Robert Imrie in Wausau, Wis.; and Amy Forliti in Bloomington, Minn., contributed to this report.