Americans from Texas to South Carolina are sweating it out in a Summer of 2007 heat wave. Temperatures have jumped well over the 100-degree mark in many cities, breaking records and proving deadly to some.

Heat-related deaths have been reported this week in Kansas City, St. Louis, Little Rock, Memphis, and other locations from the heartland to the southeast.

The heat can be especially hard to bear for the very young and the elderly. Children have been left in hot cars, some rescued, others not, as mother nature reminds us how dangerous she can be when simple precautions are not followed.

Air conditioners are running full blast in many cities, where electric usage is reported at or near record levels, along with high water consumption. Some cities have opened community centers and other air-conditioned buildings to offer the low-income and homeless a place to escape the heat.

In a summer that has seen astronomically high gas prices, this is just another blow to Americans struggling to get by. Now they must be concerned about paying high electric bills in addition to filling their tanks.

The heat wave is expected to taper off in most areas by the weekend.