ST. LOUIS (AP) - Strong thunderstorms across parts of Missouri are offering relief from the oppressive heat and humidity, but causing other problems.
The storms rolled through late Sunday and early Monday, knocking out power to thousands of Ameren customers in the St. Louis region. By 7 a.m., nearly 10,000 customers were still without power.
Heavy rain accompanied the storm, causing flash flood warnings in several Mid-Missouri counties.
The temperature reached 101 degrees Sunday in St. Louis, but high temperatures for most of this week are expected to be in the upper 80s.
Meanwhile, federal workplace safety officials blame heat exposure in the death of a 23-year-old landscaper in Poplar Bluff.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Monday the worker from Dexter was assisting in tree-trimming efforts when he became overheated Friday afternoon. That's when OSHA said the heat index reached about 110 degrees.
The worker's core body temperature exceeded 108 degrees, and he died the next day at a hospital. His name hasn't been released.
OSHA said the worker was on his fourth day working for a tree service based in Muncie, Indiana.