NEWSLINE: MONDAY HIGH, 99, TIES 1980 RECORD

Monday was the hottest day of the year in Cape Girardeau. The 4 p.m. reading of 99 degrees at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport tied the record high for July 1, set in 1980.

The airport temperature reached 98 degrees at 3 p.m., then dropped to 97 at 5 p.m.

Monday was also the third consecutive day of temperatures in the mid-90s. Saturday's high was 95; on Sunday the high was 96.

It was particularly sweltering for 75 Union Electric customers in Woodland Hills subdivision in the northwest part of the city.

A UE spokesman said a fault on an underground electrical cable knocked out power in the subdivision at about 6 p.m. Most homes in the subdivision are supplied by underground utilities.

A.D. Cox said some customers had lights and air conditioners back on around 10 p.m., but the rest were still in the dark and heat of the night.

He said UE crews were still trying to find the underground electrical problem at 10:30 p.m.