Tips for surviving extreme heat
With record-breaking heatwaves affecting millions of people, here are top tips for staying safe in extreme temperatures.
A heat wave that began after Labor Day in the Western U.S. will continue to bring dangerous temperatures to millions of people this weekend, with the worst of the heat wave continuing across Southern California.
On Friday, downtown Los Angeles reached a heat index of 44 degrees, the third time the area has reached that level since 1877, the local NWS office said on social media. An extreme heat warning remains in effect in Los Angeles County.
In San Diego and Orange counties, temperatures are expected to reach around 32 degrees in coastal cities, while some inland suburbs are expected to see temperatures as high as 43 degrees. Palm Springs is expected to reach a sweltering 40 degrees on Saturday.
Meanwhile, high temperatures in Oregon and Washington have also led to wildfire warnings in the Cascade Mountains, the NWS office in Portland said.
Heat can cause serious illness or death, explains the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Older or younger people who work outdoors, have underlying medical conditions, lack air conditioning or are homeless are at greater risk.
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The Los Angeles Fire Department advised people to plan ahead and avoid going out during the hottest times of the day.
In a social media post Friday afternoon, Erik Scott, a spokesman for the LAFD, said people should drink plenty of fluids even if they are not thirsty; keep cool outside in the shade and inside with air conditioning and fans; take cold showers or baths; and dress loosely in cotton or linen. Additionally, people should check on others, especially those who are at higher risk of heat illness. Finally, Scott said, people should not leave children or pets in parked cars because temperatures inside can quickly double.
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This summer was the hottest worldwide since weather records began, Copernicus, Europe’s climate change service, said on Friday.
