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The heat wave of 2011 reached rarely visited territory in Wichita Sunday, when the high hit 111.
That broke the record for July 10 of 110, set in 1980. It was only the 10th time Wichita had reached 111 or more since records began being kept in 1888.
The sizzling Sunday had residents swapping stories on Facebook about frying eggs on sidewalks, and hitting the swimming pool or changing plans to avoid the heat.
"We went to Botanica to see the new children's garden, but it got so very hot we decided to come here for some ice cream," Julie Chaney said of her granddaughter, 7-year-old Maggie O'Neill, at the Wichita Art Museum's birthday party Sunday.
Susan Dyer thought she had the perfect antidote: hanging out at the pool.
While the warm water was delightful, she said, there was an unexpected complication.
"The cement," she said on Twitter, "is fire."
Westar Energy reported two significant power outages on Wichita's hottest day in more than 30 years, but spokeswoman Gina Penzig said neither one was heat-related.
About 900 Westar customers in south Wichita were without power for nearly two hours early Sunday afternoon after a power line came into contact with a traffic signal near Pawnee and Broadway, she said.
More than 2,500 customers were without power for up to 15 minutes later that afternoon while utility crews repaired a split pole.
No heat-related admissions were reported at local hospitals, though first responders handled two heat-related calls as evening set in.
Wichita hadn't reached 111 since July 12, 1980, when the temperature reached 112.
More triple-digit days are in the forecast for today and Tuesday, said Scott Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wichita. Today's high is expected to reach about 102, and Tuesday 100.
"There will be maybe a little cooling trend, if you want to call 100 degrees a cooling trend," Smith said.
