SACRAMENTO, Calif. -
Gripped by a 10th straight day of 100-degree heat, the number of suspected heat-related deaths in California climbed to at least 53 on Tuesday and the rotting carcasses of thousands of dairy cows and other livestock baked in the sun.
Some communities faced their third day without electricity as the record-breaking temperatures strained transmission equipment.
"We're asking people for one more day of conservation," said Gregg Fishman of the California Independent System Operator, which manages the state's power grid. "We're not out of the woods yet."
The stretch of 100-plus-degree scorchers that descended on the state last week marks the first time in 57 years that both Northern and Southern California have experienced extended heat waves simultaneously, California Undersecretary for Energy Affairs Joe Desmond said.
In the Central Valley, where most of the deaths have occurred, temperatures were expected to reach 100 to 105 degrees on Tuesday, down from 110 to 115 in previous days. Truly cooler weather was not expected until Wednesday.
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