After a day of generalized and dangerously bad temperatures, including some that broke daily records, the officials of the National Meteorological Service warn of the South Californians that this prolonged heat wave is just beginning.
On Friday, bringing more sizzling heat is forecast, with temperatures and conditions similar to Thursday when the maximums reach more than 105 degrees in many valleys of the Los Angeles County and more than 110 in some deserts. A generalized extreme heat warning remains in place during much of southern California until Saturday, warning “dangerously hot conditions” that cause a high risk of heat diseases.
Many areas on Thursday night until early in Friday, they experienced little cooling, with temperatures in the Los Angeles basin that remain above 70 degrees. Experts warn that the lack of night relief can be the most dangerous situation, since it does not give the body the opportunity to recover from the highest daytime, and can help feed a forest fire, if one turns on.
“The extreme heat is dangerous even at night,” the meteorological service prediction center wrote in a Heat Wave update. The extreme heat raises “a threat to anyone without effective cooling and adequate hydration.”
But heat risk is not just a concern in southern California. It is expected that even more severe temperatures continue for some areas of the southwest desert, including Las Vegas and Phoenix, and a large part of California is under heat notices on the weekend, including the area of the interior bay. There, the maximums broke several daily records on Thursday and could continue to arrive near or in the triple digits until Saturday.
In Napa County, a great fire broke out on Thursday in the midst of the heat of the building, which helped boost its rapid growth, forcing evacuations. Until Friday morning, the Picktt fire had grown to 2,133 acres without containment, according to the California Forestry and Fire Protection Department.
“Heat also means danger of fire,” Cal Fire reiterated in a publication on social networks, warning that much of the State faces these high conditions. Three other smaller fires exploded in the state on Thursday, although officials seemed to have the controlled ones.
The National Meteorological Service continues to warn about a trio of threats for southern California during this weekend: extreme heat, high fire conditions and an opportunity for monzónic electric storms. A red flag warning remains in force for the mountains and foothills of the Los Angeles and Ventura County until Saturday night.
Southern California, Edison, said Friday that he was considering planned electricity closures to minimize the risk of forest fires for 9,000 clients in six counties, with most customers in Los Angeles County. Energy closures had not yet started, the utility reported.
The storms, mainly in the mountains and deserts, are still a concern until Monday. The forecasts say that storms could bring located winds, floods, debris flows and the possibility of dry ray, which could cause more fires.
Temperatures are expected to fall a few degrees for Saturday, and will continue to do so until the beginning of next week, although the maximums will remain above the average for this time of the year.
Thursday of high records
These are some of the daily records of high temperatures throughout the south of California that were tied or broken on Thursday, according to the National Meteorological Service:
- Camarillo Airport: 89 degrees (tied with previous record)
- Field: 106 degrees (the previous record was 103)
- Cuyamaca Lake: 96 degrees (the previous registration was 94)
- Palomar Mountain: 93 degrees (tied with a previous record)
- Needles: 117 degrees (tied in the previous registry)
Registration tied or located in northern California for Thursday:
- Sonoma County Airport: 100 degrees (previous record 97)
- San Rafael: 100 degrees (previous record 97)
- Concord Airport: 101 degrees (previous record 99)
- Oakland Museum: 85 degrees (previous record 84)
- Livermore airport 102 degrees (previous record 101)
- Redwood City: 97 (previous record 95)
- Hayward Airport: 85 degrees (previous record 83)
- Wastonville Airport: 85 (previous record 83)
Las Vegas established a record of their warmer temperature on Thursday, never falls below 89 degrees. His previous record for the day was 87 degrees, according to the National Meteorological Service.
