TRENTON, N.J. — Weather-weary New Jerseyans dealt with another day of record-setting heat and high humidity on Saturday, but forecasters said some relief was on the way from the extended heat wave that's baked the state for a week.
Temperatures were near or just above 100 degrees in most areas on Saturday afternoon, with heat indexes ranging from 105 to 110 degrees, and new same-day records were set in three of the state's major cities — Atlantic City, Newark and Trenton.
And though similar hot and humid conditions are expected Sunday, when most highs will be in the mid 90s, forecasters say cooler air should finally arrive sometime Sunday night, and temperatures should only reach into the upper 80s on Monday.
That news brought great joy to Jamar Washington of Trenton, who was one of the few people seen on the streets of downtown Trenton on Saturday afternoon. He had decided to take a short walk to stave off the "excessive cabin fever" he's been feeling since the hot weather first came to town a few days ago, forcing him to spend most of his time in his small city apartment.
"I never thought I would think of the upper 80s as 'cool temperatures,' but now I can't wait," he said. "I don't know if this is global warming or just a freak weather thing, but this (excessive heat) needs to go away ... far, far away."
Trenton's 104 degrees beat its previous record of 99, set in 1991. But the capital city was narrowly edged out for the state's hottest spot by Atlantic City, which reached 105 degrees and broke its previous record of 100, also set in 1991. Newark — which saw temperatures of 108 degrees on Friday — only got to 102 on Saturday, but that was enough to best its previous mark of 100 degrees set in 1955.
An excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service was due to remain in effect until at least 8 p.m. Saturday for most of the state and 8 p.m. Sunday for urban areas. And while there was a slight chance of some showers on Saturday night, forecasters said they would provide little relief even if they did occur.
Most residents seemed to be heeding advice to stay indoors in air-conditioned areas, either staying home or traveling to malls and movie theaters. And while some traveled to beaches along the Jersey Shore, officials said the crowds were much lower than what would be expected for a normal summer weekend day.
State emergency management officials said no major weather-related problems are being reported. But they urged residents to drink plenty of water and asked that they check in on elderly relatives and neighbors and those with special medical needs. They also reminded residents to call the state's 211 help line if they need to find cooling centers or other heat-related information,
No deaths have been reported since the heat wave began, though many people have been hospitalized with heat-related illnesses. The heat also forced Monmouth Park to cancel its Saturday horse racing card, the second straight day that's happened.
However, utilities said no major widespread outages had occurred. And while the power grid appeared to be in good shape, they were still asking residents to avoid any unnecessary power usage, such as doing laundry or leaving lights on in unoccupied rooms.
PSE&G said about 5,400 of its more than two million customers were without electric service early Saturday evening. The state's largest utility said its peak demand came about 3 p.m. Friday, when it reached 10,883 megawatts, slightly shy of 11,108 megawatts set in August of 2006.
Meanwhile, about 6,000 Jersey Central Power and Light customers had no power as of early Saturday evening, while Atlantic City Electric said nearly 2,000 customers had no service. But almost all affected customers were expected to have their power restored by midnight.
Water utilities also urged residents to conserve and refrain from outdoor watering.
Residents were trying to take the heat in stride, though many said they planned trips to malls or movie theaters so they could get out of the house but still stay cool.
"I love my four kids dearly and they love me, but if we all have to stay together in the house for too long, one or more us won't make it out alive," joked Margaret Sanger of Berkeley Township as she picked up some milk and eggs at a local supermarket Saturday morning. Her family planned to take in the new "Harry Potter" movie in the early afternoon, then go to a local restaurant for dinner.
"I haven't had the oven on for a few days since its been so hot, and we've basically been living on fruit and sandwiches. We need a little more sustenance," Sanger said.