北美大陆东部多市遭热浪侵袭（视频）

爱思英语编者按：席卷美国东北部的热浪导致康涅狄格州电力中断、华盛顿铁路运输受阻、纽约市发出节电警告。

周二，康涅狄格州斯坦福气温达到100华氏度，高温导致变压器发生故障，当地有9000户居民家中断电。在华盛顿，气温过高导致轨道发生变形，列车不得不减速确保安全，至少1条铁路线运行出现延误。考虑到高温天气会导致用电紧张，纽约有关部门已经提醒居民节约用电。纽约市部分地区周二气温达到了103华氏度，有官员担心城市用电量将超过2006年8月创下的记录。官员提醒市民，尽量减少使用大功率电器，空调温度不宜设置过低。

美国已经出现高温天气导致人员死亡事件。据报道，宾夕法尼亚州费城一名92岁的女子被发现死在家中。有关机构发言人称，该女子家中没有空调，窗户打开，尸体是邻居发现的。据美国国家气象局预报，高温警告将持续到周三晚间。气象部门官员建议人们呆在室内，照顾好家中的老人，警惕发生中暑，因为高温高湿天气会带来一定的危险。

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The U.S. East Coast has been hit by power blackouts as major cities swelter in record high temperatures.

Temperatures in New York hit 103 degrees (39.4C) yesterday, while Philadelphia reported readings of 102(38.8C).

The extreme heat has forced transport officials to cut the speed of commuter trains in Washington DC and New York after welded rails began to bend.

Energy companies are urging consumers to cut back on power use to relieve the high demand during the heat wave.

Forecasts have shown that power demand is approaching the record highs set during the heat wave in 2006, which saw several black outs in U.S. cities.

John Miksad, senior vice president with Consolidated Edison Inc of New York, said: "We are anticipating a potential record-breaking day for electric usage.

"It"s not a record we"re hoping to break and we are encouraging conservation among all our customers."

The massive demand has seen homes along the east coast without electricity. More than 3,000 homes and businesses were left without power yesterday as consumers switched on air conditioning units to battle the sweltering temperatures.

Record temperatures: This little girl has the right idea as she pedals her bike through a fire hydrant jet in Philadelphia

Businesses and officers are being urged to switch off non-essential lighting, elevators and escalators and to turn off ornamental fountains.

Thousands of people cooled off by turning on fire hydrants or splashing through fountains.更多信息请访问：http://www.24en.com/

Meterologists forecast the heatwave could start to ease off later this week, but much of the north east coast of the U.S. has seen temperatures topping 100 degrees (37.7C).

Ice cream weather: Sunbathers make the most of the sunshine on Atlantic City Beach, New Jersey

The deaths of a 92-year-old Philadelphia woman and a homeless woman found next to a car in Detroit have been blamed on the heat.

Weather Service spokesman Sean Potter said: "It"s safe to say this is one of the hottest days in about a decade for many locations in the north east and even inland.

"You"d go back to 2001 or maybe 1999 to find a similar heat wave."

The Suffolk County Red Cross, on New York"s Long Island, said it planned to hand out bottles of water to day labourers working on rooftops or in fields and yards.

Workers at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, used tubs of ice cubes to help keep four sick seals cool.

 Splashing time: A woman swings her son through a hydrant spray in Brooklyn