More swelter today, cooler days coming 97 degrees forecast, but the temps will drop mid-week Monday, June 09, 2008 • BY ROBERT E. WILLIAMS III AND CARLY ROTHMAN • Star-Ledger Staff Another sweltering day with near-record highs is expected in New Jersey today, as the state enters its third consecutive day of temperatures in the mid-90s. Some school districts in New Jersey, including Edison and Mountain Lakes, will have early dismissals today because of the heat. An excessive heat warning has been issued for today, said Roy Miller, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly. Meteorologists anticipate to day's temperatures to reach 97 de grees, nearing the 99-degree record set in 1999. But relief may be on the way Tuesday, Miller said. A pressure system rotating clockwise off the coast of the Carolinas has pushed the heat from the south into the New York City metropolitan area, but a mild cold front from the west is predicted to sweep through the region Tuesday night. "It will have enough strength to push (the heat) away from us and drop the temperature," Miller said. Temperatures for Wednesday and Thursday are expected to hover in the 80s, Miller said. Yesterday, thunderstorms brought only brief relief from the 96-degree heat for the thousands who gathered for the Portugal Day festival in Newark's Ironbound and the Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City, meteorologists said. Others fell ill in the humid weather, with three people being treated for heat exhaustion during the Woodcliff Lake Run for Education 5K yesterday morning, according to authorities. The heat sent people swarming to the state's beaches, so many that Sandy Hook's beach reached capacity by mid-afternoon and was closed, authorities said. The high temperatures also caused the metal to swell on the Morgan Bridge -- the Route 35 bridge over Cheesequake Creek between Sayreville and Old Bridge in Middlesex County -- causing the old drawbridge to stick in the upright position and disrupting re turning Shore traffic early yesterday evening. Brief power outages struck pockets of Essex, Morris, Hunter don, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Union and Warren counties throughout the weekend. Stan Prater, a spokesman for Jersey Central Power & Light Co., said the likely cause was the strain placed on the system by large numbers of people suddenly switching on their air conditioners. "The system just overheats, like anything else," he said. Robert E. Williams III may be reached at rwilliams@starledger.com or (973) 539-7910. Carly Rothman may be reached at crothman@star ledger.com or (973) 392-7890. © 2008 The Star-Ledger. Used by NJ.com with permission.