An extreme heat wave that has already shattered temperature records across the U.S. Southwest threatened on Friday to push power systems to the brink of failure as residents cranked up air conditioners.
California power grid operators, who have so far been able to keep the lights on, issued their latest "flex alert" for Friday, asking homeowners across the state to conserve energy in the late afternoon and evening when demand surges.
The heat, which comes amid years of drought across the Southwest, has strained power grids in California and Texas and fueled the spread of wildfires.
“It feels somewhat apocalyptic with the record high heat, the smoke from wildfires tearing through the Sonoran desert and the news on the drought,” said Emily Kirkland, a communications organizer for a Phoenix nonprofit group. "Just the 10-minute walk from my house to the light rail made me queasy."
"Very hot conditions will continue for interior areas through Saturday, followed by gradual cooling into next week. Until then, USE CAUTION as heat can be deadly! Most importantly, stay hydrated and never leave kids or pets in a hot car!!" the National Weather Service station for Los Angeles said on Twitter.
RECORDS BROKEN
Temperature records have already been tied or broken in Salt Lake City, Palm Springs and elsewhere and record highs were forecast for Phoenix on Friday at 117 degrees.
The diner has an outdoor dining area but "when it reaches over 110 (degrees Fahrenheit), there's no way to make it comfortable," she said.
Many other cities were expected to come close to tying or breaking their daily records, including Las Vegas where a high temperature of 114 degrees was forecast.
A high-pressure ridge, or dome, over the Southwest has been blamed for the heat wave.
Power systems in Texas and California have so far withstood the strain but operators said that if residents did not conserve energy in the late afternoon, rolling blackouts could be required to keep the system running.
In Texas, where temperatures have moderated, demand hit a record on Monday, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT).
California's power demand peaked on Thursday at 41,364 megawatts and was expected to surpass that level on Friday, according to the California Independent System Operator, which operates the grid in most of the state. One megawatt can power about 200 homes on a hot day.
Relief, relatively speaking, is also forecast to come to the Southwest at the beginning of next week, Oravec said.