heat wave

State parks could see record summer attendance

Kate Wells — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 20:21:30 +0000

If you're planning a trip to Michigan's state parks this summer, expect some company.

The parks are on track to break attendance records this year, with more than 25 million visits expected.

It’s mostly thanks to hot weather, lowers gas prices, and cheaper park passes, says Harold Herta of the Department of Natural Resources. "We've seen a lot of people coming out to the parks this year that said, I haven't been to a state park in years, and I thought I'd try it out. Especially in the metro-Detroit area."

A good day to sit next to an air conditioner in Michigan

Steve Carmody — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 22:04:25 +0000

How hot was it today?

Hot enough for Consumers Energy to smash its all-time record for electricity demand.

MI cooling centers open amid excessive heat and power outages

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 19:27:02 +0000

Update 3:27 p.m.

The AP is now reporting that more Michigan homes and businesses --around 400,000-- lost power this week:

It’s hot… and only getting warmer the rest of the week

Lindsey Smith — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:42:50 +0000

The National Weather Service has put much of southwest and lower mid-Michigan under an “excessive heat warning” through Saturday. With the humidity factored in, it could feel as hot as 110-degrees in some places later this week.

Chapters of The American Red Cross are prepared for the heat wave. Chip Kraght directs emergency services for the west Michigan district.

“It can become a disaster, however, with some really easy preventative stuff and some careful monitoring people can really prevent any sort of side effects,” Kraght said.

Crest of heat wave passing through Michigan, power conservation urged

Mark Brush — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:43:07 +0000

Much of the state is under excessive heat warnings and air pollution alerts today as the peak of the Midwest heat wave passes over the state. The heat index (a measure of air temperature and relative humidity) has reached 110 in some areas.

According to Jeff Masters at wunderground.com, 22 deaths in the Midwest have been blamed on the heat wave and Detroit is expected to reach 100 degrees for the first time in sixteen years.

One death in Oakland County is being blamed on the heat and power companies are asking customers to cut back on their electricity usage.

The Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator (MISO), issued an energy conservation alert today because of high customer demand.

What do all the heat warnings, advisories, and watches mean?

Mark Brush — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:05:27 +0000

Media outlets around the state want you to know... IT'S HOT!!

They have several different ways of telling you it's hot.

There are heat advisories, warnings and watches, heat indices, and ozone action days.

But what do all these terms really mean?

Here's a breakdown of the terms you might be reading or hearing about.

Heat wave may cause power outages

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:40:29 +0000

The extremely hot weather has caused some electrical outages in metro Detroit. High temperatures and storms last month contributed to power outages across the state. The National Weather Service expects southern Michigan’s heat wave to continue through the weekend.

Scott Simon is with Detroit Edison. He says the electric grid is in good shape and should be able to handle the increased need for power.