Americans try to cope with oppressive heat By NAHAL TOOSI, Associated Press Writer
Temperatures in the 90s gripped parts of the country on Monday, prompting heat advisories, altered routines and calls for electricity conservation.
On the streets of New York, where the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the day, a spot in the shade competed with a parking slot as the most valuable commodity. Men and women made their way under narrow awnings, lounged under trees and took breaks under the large umbrellas of hot dog stands.
But the heat was on.
"It feels oppressive and sticky," said Laura Shaffer, a 30-year-old from Manhattan.
She wasn't walking in the shade. But then again, she was sipping a Diet Coke on her way to work.
In Cleveland, 22 outdoor pools that are normally closed on Mondays and Tuesdays were being opened as Monday marked the second 90-degree day of the year. Temperatures throughout Ohio are expected to hover around 90 the rest of the week.
Tony Godel, working on a remodeling project at a hotel in downtown Cleveland, was already sweating through his brown Corona Extra T-shirt by 10 a.m. He planned to drink a lot of water to cope.
"You get used to it after a while," Godel said. "You know what you're getting into. You're paid to deal with it."
With the hot weather expected to continue, calls also went out for electricity conservation.
Record or not, people were making adjustments: Sunglasses, T-shirts, miniskirts and sunscreen. Iced coffee instead of the heated brew. At least one man carried a towel to wipe his brow.
Shaffer, who studies how corporations deal with environmental issues, decided to buy her lunch at a fast-food restaurant before heading into work so she didn't have to come back outside.
"I think that it's a precursor of what we could be experiencing on a daily basis if we don't do something about global warming," she said near Pennsylvania Station.
But she didn't skimp on the spices for her rice and tomato burrito.
"They actually help keep you cool," she said.
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Associated Press Writer JoAnn Loviglio in Philadelphia contributed to this report.
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