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© Associated Press
The death toll from one of the region's most-intense hot spells in the 138-year period of record has reached at least 18.

And that's probably a substantial undercount, in the view of one heat-mortality expert.

The Health Department added eight additional heat-related deaths to the list today, bringing the Philadelphia total to 15.

Three others were reported in neighboring counties as a result of the fifth, longest and most-oppressive heat wave of the season.

"You had a super bad air mass," said Laurence Kalkstein, a research professor at the University of Miami who helped Philadelphia develop its acclaimed hot-weather warning system.