Area residents are going to continue to swelter today in the heat that has gripped our area for the past week with temperatures expected to reach near 100 degrees.
The extreme temperatures have brought uncomfortable living conditions, severe thunderstorms and power outages across the area.
Joe Palko, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon Township, said the weekend should be as "hot as ever."
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TRYING TO KEEP COOL — Mike Lathem of Follansbee, along with his sons, 4-month-old Connor and 4-year-old Aiden, have been trying to stay out of the heat, as temperatures are expected to reach near the 100-degree mark today and continue throughout the weekend. He said he has been extra cautious letting his children play out in the dangerous heat. - Jeremy Kins
"Today, we're looking at 98 or 99 degrees, and it could reach 100 degrees today and Saturday. Expect even more humidity on Saturday when heat index values could reach 105 to 108 degrees. The dewpoint will be in the 70s, which is very tropical and as if we were in Miami," said Palko.
"There's a chance for thunderstorms Saturday night, and Sunday will be a little cooler with a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms. Until then, we're basically rain free. Just hot, sunny and oppressive," said Palko.
So, where's the relief?
Palko said Sunday will be the "transition day."
"Temperatures will still be in the upper 80s, but it will be leading into next week where high temperatures should be in the low 80s and it will be much less humid starting Monday," said Palko.
Area residents have been feeling the heat and, in Mike Lathem's case, he's trying to keep his children out of the sun.
Lathem, who lives in Follansbee with his 4-month-old newborn Connor and 4-year-old Aiden, said they've just been doing whatever they can to deal with the heat.
"We have air conditioning, absolutely, and we haven't been leaving the house too much. We went to a cookout on the Fourth of July, and we had sprinklers for the kids," said Lathem.
He says his boys have been handling the heat well, but that he is cautious when they're out in the heat for too long.
Danny Codeluppi and his wife Debbie, both of Wintersville, said they've limited their activities to places where it's cool - like the movie theater at the Fort Steuben Mall.
Worse yet, Debbie said the heat has been affecting her oxygen tank and her ability to breathe well.
"It's definitely became worse with the weather. I can't do as much right now as when the weather is cooler, it's too hard on my lungs," she said.
And with the heat wave has come severe thunderstorms that have caused power outages and problems not only locally, but across the state.
Rick Call, who lives in an apartment on Belleview Boulevard in Steubenville, said Tuesday afternoon he heard a "boom."
"It was like an explosion. The weather caused two of my cable boxes to fry, my ethernet port for my computer, my phone and my television," said Call.
He said he also lost, oddly enough, just the light above his stove. In addition, Call said his neighbors had a number of lightbulbs burst from the surge.
American Electric Power of Ohio indicated this morning that power customers in Jefferson County have had their electricity restored, but close to 89,000 customers across Ohio are still without power.
Mon Power reported 76 customers are still without power in Brooke County, with 61 of those customers located in Wellsburg. In Hancock County, Mon Power reported there are 126 customers without electricity, of which 91 of those customers are in the Weirton area.
