Ok, let’s get one thing straight right now. I do NOT believe in man-made global warming. That being said I do believe that we are in a period of general global climate warming, that is natural in occurance. There has been evidence of these sort of changes in the past, and as we look on this decade/century at some point in the far future, anyone who claims that man caused it will be rightly laughed at (the world is flat sort of deal).
There is even evidence that Mars is under going a period of global warming, and the last time I checked there weren’t any big Oil companies building factories up there, or Rich yuppies driving SUVs. So the answer must lie elsewhere.
Today’s temperature reached a record 100 degrees at 3:34 p.m. at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
With the humidity, it felt like 105 degrees, said meteorologist Sam McNeil of the National Weather Service in Wilmington. The old record high was 99 degrees in 1941.
Thursday’s temperatures are expected to be in the upper 90s around the region.
Greater Cincinnatians are coping as best they can with the heat and humidity.
"I drink a lot of water, a lot of Gatorade," said Mike Meagher, a member of the street paving crew on Central Parkway near the District 1 police headquarters in the West End.
The hydration helps some, Meagher said, but it’s still uncomfortable working outside.
"I don’t think you get used to this," said the 50-year-old Norwood resident who works for Keesh Construction. "It’s miserable."
The St. Vincent de Paul Fan Drive (513-562-8841, ext. 225) is trying to make it more tolerable. The society’s goal is to collect 500 fans and 100 air conditioners by Aug. 12. Some two dozen people are the waiting list for air conditioners.
Sweat was visible on Jeremiah Tharp’s face as he delivered mail on Hamilton Avenue in Northside today.
"It’s a big deal," Tharp said of the heat. "I’ll have to drink at least four bottles of water or I’ll pass out."
And it’s not like Tharp doesn’t have experience working in extremely hot weather. The Army veteran did two tours in Iraq.
"It’s more of a wet heat here," he said.
Emily Corbin, pool manager at the Cincinnati Recreation Commission’s College Hill swimming pool on Belmont Avenue, says it’s been busy.
Many of the parents are joining their children in the water, she said. Pool employees are taking advantage of the water in order to cool off, Corbin said. "My staff is in there every time they get a break," she said.
The steamy hot weather has resulted an increase sales of fans, coolers and weather stripping, said Bill Dickhaus, owner of Ace Hardware in Northside. Furnace filters for air conditioning systems are also another hot-selling item, he said.
Electricity usage is up but Duke Energy should be able to keep up with the increased demand, spokeswoman Kathy Meinke said. "We aren’t anticipating any problems,’’ she said.
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