Today and Thursday have been declared "Flex Alert Days," which means setting thermostats at 78 degrees or higher, leaving drapes closed, turning off unnecessary lights and appliances, and using large appliances early in the morning or late at night. The California Independent System Operator, the outfit that manages the state's power grid, expects the hot weather to raise demand, but not to dangerous levels. Demand should reach its peak of 44,902 megawatts at about 4 p.m. (the record peak demand was 50,270 megawatts on July 24, 2006). This might be a test of all the work that DWP has done to overhaul its transformers (remember last year's outages?). By the way, a ridge of high pressure from Arizona is the culprit behind the high temperatures. The heat is expected to peak today and Thursday, but expect above-normal temperatures (lots of 90s and even 100s) into early next week. (Daily Breeze)