Temperatures reached into the 90s on Wednesday with a fair share of clouds and haze, high humidity levels. By mid-afternoon, thunderstorms rolled into the region, knocking out power to some areas.
Metro-North Railroad commuters faced some delays following a lightening strike in New York City that temporarily disrupted power for some 400,000 people during the afternoon commute. Railroad officials expected the ride home to the north would be nightmare, but when power was restored relatively quickly, the ride home eased somewhat.
As of 5:00 this morning, some 15,000 people were reported still without electricity in parts of Westchester County and Long Island.
Another set of thunderstorms passed through the Hudson Valley in the evening hours with reports of a couple of houses being struck by lightening and catching fire.
Orange and Rockland Utilities, which provides electric service to a significant portion of the Hudson Valley, suggested consumers conserve energy this summertime.
Set your central air conditioner thermostat at 78 degrees F or higher to achieve maximum savings on your cooling costs. Setting the room temperature on the air conditioner at 75 degrees costs nearly 20 percent more. A 72-degree setting costs almost 40 percent more than the 78-degree setting.
Install a timer or clock thermostat on your air conditioner so you can program it to operate and shut-off at pre-determined hours. That saves you from running it all day so you return at day’s end to a cool house.
Hire a qualified technician to perform routine maintenance service on your air conditioner annually. Check, clean or replace the filter in your air conditioner at least once a month.
Install your window/wall air conditioner on the north or east side of the house. Avoiding the hot afternoon sun can save as much as 5 percent on your cooling expense.
Plan cooking, baking or other household activities that produce heat and humidity for the cooler times of the day and night.
Use a portable or ceiling fan to circulate the pre-cooled air in your air-conditioned home.
Source : http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/weather-28Jun07.html
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