Temperatures Soar in West

July 16, 2003

(AP) -- Hurricane Claudette flooded low-lying areas and knocked out power on Texas' Gulf Coast on Tuesday before it was downgraded to a tropical storm. Thunderstorms moved through the Midwest, while temperatures continued to climb in the West.

In Texas, Claudette hit land at midday, with sustained winds topping 80 mph. But it began losing its punch, and alerts along a 130-mile stretch of coast from Port Arkansas to Freeport were reduced to tropical storm warnings.

Thunderstorms moved through parts of the Midwest, with reports of heavy rain and strong wind gusts.

In the West, temperatures soared above 100 degrees from Salt Lake City through the desert Southwest. Coastal California had cooler temperatures.

Tuesday's temperatures across the Lower 48 states ranged from a low of 37 in Stanley, Idaho, to a high of 108 Gila Bend, Arizona

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WEATHER/07/16/weatherpage.tuepm.ap/