Thirsty lawns, fields in area get a soaking

Ryan Wood, 6, frolics in the Municipal Pool in Perrysburg as the heat wave continues. Little relief is expected anytime soon, as forecasters are calling for highs of about 90 at least through Saturday, with rain today and tomorrow. Yesterday's storms produced more than an inch of rain.

Forecasters said it was thunder that roared along with yesterday s rain, but it could have been farmers and gardeners cheering as inches of rain fell on dry fields and lawns in parts of northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.

Northeastern Monroe County s Newport got 2.6 inches, which the National Weather Service s Detroit office said was one of the highest amounts in the region. At Toledo Express Airport, the weather service recorded 1.95 inches.

Yesterday morning, about 3,000 Toledo Edison customers were without power in the company s territory that stretches from the Indiana border east to Port Clinton and from the Michigan border south to Defiance. Power was back by 2:30 p.m.

Detroit Edison reported 1,700 customers without power at 6 p.m. in northern Monroe County. They were expected to be restored by 11 p.m.

Shortly after 7 p.m., a funnel cloud was reported over the Perrysburg area, but there were no reports of any touchdowns.