The unseasonably cooler weather of a few weeks ago has turned around with a vengeance.

And while Roanoke's sweltering temperatures may not be stopping outdoor activities, it seems everyone is asking for some relief.

The National Weather Service is predicting just that, with a good chance of rain on Thursday and temperatures in the 70s going into Friday and Saturday.

And if it seems hotter than usual, it has been: Southwest Virginia's weather broke record temperature highs Monday and Tuesday.

The numbers tell the cold, hard truth: Memorial Day reached a record high of 93 degrees in Roanoke, breaking the 1991 record of 91. Blacksburg also broke its record high of 84 -- also in 1991 -- with a holiday treat of 87.

Tuesday was no different as Roanoke equaled the 1969 record mark of 93. (Blacksburg, meanwhile, hit a new mark of 89, topping the previous record of 87 set in 1953).

Most air conditioning services seemed to be feeling the heat as well.

The answering machine at Custom Cooling and Heating in Vinton said simply: "This is Sam at Custom Cooling. Obviously I'm very behind. Leave me your name and number, and I'll get back to you as quick as I can, but I have a full plate."

At S.J. Conner & Sons Inc., when asked about more phone calls, the woman answering the phone said, "Yeah, Melissa's pulling her hair out. Can you hold just a moment?"

Melissa Lax -- fielding yet another call -- said people started calling in at 8 Tuesday morning.

She said she took about 40 calls during the day, all with some sort of air conditioner maintenance problem, and dispatched technicians all over Roanoke.

It wasn't the best wake-up call, she said.

But not everyone was sitting behind a desk Tuesday.

Roanoke Police Officer Eric Pendleton, who's normally on horseback around the farmers market, was on foot Tuesday.

He said it's the horses that really get antsy in the heat, and, unlike him, get a breather when the temperature gauge pushes well into the red.

"I'm hot," he said without bitterness. "A polyester uniform and a bullet-proof vest ... It's like wearing a sweater all the time." Pendleton said drinking a lot of fluids was key, as he sipped water from a plastic cup and wiped his forehead with a red bandana. Rupert Saunders, selling jewelry with his wife Deborah at the farmers market, was all smiles Tuesday with a fan nearby.

"Yeah, what else can you do?" he said. "Heat doesn't bother me that much ... As long as I can make it stay cool.

"Went from winter straight to summer. No spring here."

But not everyone can cure their ills with a fan or a cold cup of water.

Farmers have been particularly suffering, as the area south of Roanoke is in a moderate drought.

Experts aren't sure how long the drought could last.

And though uncomfortable, one can't do anything about the sun except seek shade and try not to think about it.

As Mark Twain once lamented, "Everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it."