Northeast heat wave

Heat wave blankets U.S. Northeast for 2nd day

1 of 2. Children play with water at a local park in New York June 21, 2012. A heat wave blanketed the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, sparking a brownout in New York City and forced utilities to ask customers to conserve electricity.

Credit: Reuters/Eduardo Munoz

By Scott DiSavino

NEW YORK | Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:41am EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A heat wave blanketed the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Thursday, sparking brownouts in New York City and forcing utilities across the region to ask customers to conserve electricity.Despite local transmission problems, regional power grid operators in New York, New England and the 13 states served by the PJM regional transmission group expected to have enough power to meet soaring demand on the second day of the mini heat wave.
After reaching 94 degrees Fahrenheit (34 Celsius) on Wednesday, the first day of summer, temperatures in New York, the nation's biggest metropolitan area, were expected to match the record high for the day of 97 degrees on Thursday before slipping to 92 on Friday and into the 80s over the weekend.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory until Thursday night.
Average highs in New York at this time of year are about 81 F.