Widespread Outages Persist As Thunderstorms Hit Northern Ohio

CLEVELAND — Widespread power outages persist in northern Ohio, even as another round of thunderstorms sweeps through the region.

As of 8:30 a.m., more than 55,000 FirstEnergy customers are without power in northern Ohio. The majority of the outages are in Cuyahoga County, where nearly 40,000 people woke up unable to turn on their lights.

FirstEnergy said the majority of its customers will have power restored by 10 p.m. on Friday.

The power outages continue even as more thunderstorms and extreme heat hit northern Ohio.

"There is a marginal risk for strong to severe storms today, mainly during the afternoon hours. Damaging winds will be the primary weather hazard. Heavy rainfall with these thunderstorms may also lead to localized flooding," the National Weather Service said, noting that additional thunderstorms could develop on Friday.

When the storms aren't cooling things off, temperatures will climb into the 90s. Combined with the high humidity, conditions outdoors will often feel extremely hot (heat indexes could eclipse 100 degrees).

Anyone who must be outside should drink plenty of fluids and take breaks in air-conditioned rooms, the National Weather Service said.