Today is expected to be the hottest day of Southern California's blistering heat wave, which the National Weather Service predicted could bring temps as high as 126 to Death Valley.

The state's electricity-grid operator, Cal-ISO, issued a “Flex Alert” for all of California through Sunday with the hope that you'll turn the air-con down just a little and avoid a catastrophic or, at least, terribly uncomfortable blackout from energy overuse.

Ignore this at your own risk:

Officials were expecting a peak demand of about 47,000 or so megawatts, near 2006's all-time demand high of 50,000.

So, remember where you put that flashlight.

Cal-ISO says the request for you to cut back at this point is “critical.”

What can you do?

The operator says turn off all “unnecessary” lights, don't use appliances if you don't have to, and crank up the thermostat to 78 degrees until after 6.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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