19th Day of Summer Heat Scorches East Coast, South

Temperatures rose into the 90s Wednesday along parts of the East Coast and in the South as a summer heat wave blamed for more than 90 deaths continued for a 19th day.

The high in Washington was 95 degrees, the fourth day in a row with temperatures above 90, accompanied by high humidity.

After a blackout in some buildings, the Potomac Electric Power Co. told customers in about 16 city blocks north of the White House to turn off as many lights as possible and reduce use of electrical equipment. The Washington Post sent non-essential workers home early and kept air conditioners running only in the computer room.

More Heat in Dallas

Dallas, which had a high of 102 Wednesday, is in for 100-degree temperatures through at least Sunday, if the weather pattern there continues, said meteorologist Ken Falk of the National Weather Service. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport hit 103, the hottest day so far this year.

Greer, S.C, had a record high of 95.

But temperatures Wednesday in Missouri and Kansas were in the low 80s, about 20 degrees lower than they were during the past two weeks.

To the north, Wednesday morning’s low at Marquette, Mich., on the shore of Lake Superior, was 39 degrees.

“It gets that way a lot in the morning,” said Bob Tuttle, a member at the Marquette Golf and Country Club. “It doesn’t bother us. Yesterday they were playing in the rain.”

The low of 59 at Topeka, Kan., was the coolest the city had seen since June 7, the weather service reported. Chicago recorded a temperature of 67 degrees before dawn, compared with 77 degrees 24 hours earlier.

No one sought relief from the heat Tuesday or Wednesday in the Salvation Army’s emergency lodge at Kansas City, Mo., spokeswoman Margaret Naylor said. The lodge provides shelter for up to 60 homeless people daily and added facilities for up to 20 people seeking relief from the heat.

“We’ll keep a careful watch for the weekend when it’s supposed to warm up,” Naylor said. “As long as it doesn’t get over about 95 degrees, we don’t have much demand from people seeking relief from the heat.”