The heat wave ... some amazing numbers

Some long-time Carolinas residents have responded to the soon-to-be-finished heat wave by saying, "It's summer. This is the South. Deal with it."

Well, we all dealt with it, because we didn't really have a choice.  And it is summer, and this is the South.

But it has been an unusually strong heat wave.  The record book shows that.

The National Weather Service says thousands of high temperature records have fallen in the last two weeks, over an area stretching from the Midwest to the East Coast, and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. The Carolinas have seen their share of it.

Here are several record-setting facts and some trends from the heat wave, which will come to an end early this week in the Carolinas with the arrival of a cold front:

-- It has reached 100 degrees or more on five of the last 10 days in Charlotte.  And it reached 96 degrees or hotter on 10 of the last 11 days.

-- Charlotte's all-time record high of 104 degrees was equalled three straight days -- June 29, June 30 and July 1.

-- The June 29 and 30 readings were the hottest ever in June for Charlotte. And the July 1 104-degree high set a record for July.

-- Through Sunday, Raleigh had six straight 100-degree days. And nine of the last 10 were 100 degrees or hotter.

-- Typically, Fayetteville and Florence are hotter than Charlotte and Raleigh, but not this time. Florence had only two 100-degree days in July, through Sunday. Fayetteville had just one. The core of the heat was centered a bit west of the Sandhills. Columbia, Charlotte and Raleigh got the hottest weather.

-- Columbia equalled its all-time high, 109 degrees, on June 29 and 30. It hit 106 degrees on July 1. And the morning low Monday was only 81 degrees.

-- Greenville-Spartanburg's high of 107 degrees on July 1 was the all-time hottest for the city. It was 100 degrees at 11 a.m. that day.

Still ahead ... some frightening power bills. And the high pressure system responsible for the heat could build back into the East again, in coming weeks.

For now, however, enjoy the change to more tolerable conditions.