Seattle sizzles as temperatures hit or surpass the 90-degree mark

How hot was it? So hot that at Woodland Park Zoo, keepers fed frozen juice treats to the sloth bears, orangutans and lemurs, and they gave cooling showers to the emus and birds of prey.

So hot that on a downtown construction job, bricklayer Cory Jones drank a gallon of water and didn't need to use the bathroom once, because he sweated it off.

So hot that public boat ramps were jammed -- never mind the high price of gasoline.

And so hot that public health officials warned people to take it easy to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

In some parts of the country, temperatures approaching or passing the 90-degree mark wouldn't get much attention. Like in Fresno, which hit 107 on Friday, or even Hanford, which hit 104.

But web-footed Seattle residents only see the 90s on an average of three times a year -- and today is likely to be day No. 4 in 2008.

"It's brutal," said Jones, working on downtown apartment building. He checked a thermometer on the scaffolding and saw that heat reflecting off the structure raised the temperature to 113 degrees.

A high of 94 is forecast for the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport today, with higher temps expected to the south and in the Cascade foothills, including 97 in Tacoma, 98 in Puyallup and 99 in Gold Bar. Sea-Tac's record for this date is 98, set in 1967.

Friday's high at Sea-Tac was 89, three degrees shy of the record of 92, set in 1967.

A weather-service "heat advisory," in effect until tonight, advises people to drink plenty of fluids and check on neighbors who are infirm or elderly.

Strenuous exercise is to be avoided during the heat of the day.

A break in the weather pattern arrives tonight, with Sunday's high dropping to about 85, and high temperatures back in the 70s by Monday, coming with the chance of a thunderstorm.

Downtown waterfront businesses in Seattle came within minutes of losing power Friday during a crisis exacerbated by high energy use, Seattle City Light spokeswoman Suzanne Hartman said.

Two transformer banks in a downtown substation failed for unknown reasons. Unfortunately, two other transformer banks were already down for maintenance.

That left the substation with just two of its six transformer banks -- during one of the hottest days of the year, when air-conditioning systems are taxed to the max.

The downtown substation provides power to about half of downtown Seattle, officials said.

Workers readied to shut off power to about 10 blocks between Broad Street and Pier 52, when one of the failed banks came back up.

Nevertheless, Seattle City Light asked area businesses to cut back their use Friday to help avoid further stress on the station's resources.

The Edgewater hotel cut back its use, and The Westin Seattle helped by switching to its backup generator, officials said.

Officials of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency were closely monitoring ozone and pollution levels, which approached the maximum allowed under federal guidelines.

Exceeding the safe levels could lead to development of a pollution-reduction plan, which could mean more red tape for companies building factories, more inspections for car owners and new formulas for gasoline.

Pet owners are advised to watch for signs of heat stress in their animals, such as heavy panting, glazed eyes, rapid pulse, dizziness, vomiting and a deep red or purple tongue.

If a pet becomes overheated, owners are advised to put it in a cool place and put cool (not cold) water over the pet's body, applying ice packs or cold towels only to the head, neck and chest, and to contact a veterinarian.

Jack Broom: 206-464-2222 or jbroom@seattletimes.com. Times staff reporters Charles E. Brown and Peyton Whitely contributed to this report.