Heat ties record; storms herald 'cool down'

On what turned out to be a record-tying steam bath of a day, hundreds of Delaware County residents got an unwanted surprise Monday: They lost power as the result of a truck accident that took down four utility poles.

And it was not the day to be without air-conditioning, as the heat index soared to 108 at Philadelphia International Airport, and the official high, 96, tied a record for a July 25, set in the blazing summer of 1999.

The "excessive heat warning" for the region expired at 6 p.m. Monday as cooling thunderstorms, some severe, pounded parts of the region during the peak evening commute, with one-inch-diameter hail reported in Coatesville and wind damage in Jamison, Bucks County.

Overall, July had been quite dry, but the showers came atop widespread soaking rains overnight that doused Democratic National Convention protesters camped out at FDR Park. The 0.62 inches measured at the airport Monday morning represented the city's heftiest official rainfall of the month.

It might be a stretch to call Tuesday's forecast high in the mid-90s a cooldown. However, conditions should be significantly less oppressive as the humidity backs off. The heat index is forecast to hold in the 90s.

The run of 90-plus days is expected to continue until the end of the workweek, but it doesn't appear that the discomfort will match that of Monday, which got off to quite an uncomfortable start in Ridley Township, Delaware County.

Officials said that for an unknown reason, some utility wires in Secane sagged during the weekend and a truck traveling on South Avenue became entangled in them about 9:15 a.m.

Peco spokesman Greg Smore said power at one point was knocked out to 600 customers. As of 1 p.m., power had been restored to all but 100, he said.

Given the extreme heat, ambulance and medical units responded to the scene, near Our Lady of Fatima Church, said Ed Beebe, deputy director of the county emergency services department.

A makeshift cooling shelter was set up at the Ridley High School cafeteria, but only one resident took advantage.

Lydia Love, 51, who lives in the Presidential Square Apartments on South Avenue and has a heart condition, praised the response by emergency officials. "They were going door to door to let them know there's a bus going to take them to a cool place," she said. "They're doing a fabulous job."

Tim Horn, 36, who also lives on South Avenue, took a fatalistic approach.

"It's bearable," he said. "Weather is weather."

As for the truck accident and its aftermath, he said, "you can't predict anything like this."

gtoohey@phillynews.com

610-313-8105