Heat Wave May Break Sooner Than Thought
The National Weather Service thinks Monday's high might hit only 96 degrees, or so, breaking a long stretch of triple-digit days. Earlier, forecasters were saying the streak might last until Wednesday but a weather front, bringing some clouds, looks like it's moving into North Texas sooner than expected. Tuesday was Day Eleven of the triple-digit streak as the mercury topped out at 101 at DFW Airport. With air conditioners humming furiously, Texas set a record for electricity use. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which runs the state's main electric grid, says the hour from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. saw the heaviest electricity consumption ever recorded. But ERCOT promises it still has plenty of capacity to cover expected demand with a reserve of more than 20 percent, just in case.
