A historic heat wave is sweeping across the western United States, bringing dangerously hot conditions to various cities in California and other regions. According to multiple sources, including the National Weather Service and local news outlets, Southern California is expected to experience excessive heat on Friday and Saturday with temperatures reaching triple digits in several cities.
The following are facts derived from various sources regarding the ongoing heatwave:
- Southern California will experience excessive heat and dangerously hot conditions on Friday and Saturday.
- Temperatures in various Southern California cities on Friday: 98 degrees in downtown Los Angeles, 106 in Pasadena, 91 in Anaheim, 88 in Long Beach, 107 in San Fernando, 105 in Riverside and 103 in Ontario.
- Friday is expected to be the warmest day of the weekend but Saturday will also be hot.
- Poor air quality is expected alongside the high temperatures.
- Those with respiratory conditions should be mindful of the air quality before performing strenuous activity over the weekend.
Additionally, a heat wave is affecting numerous climate sites in the western United States, including California and Nevada. Many of these sites face high probabilities of breaking daily and all-time temperature records. For instance, Death Valley is forecasted to reach highs of 127, 129, 131, 131, 132 and 131 degrees between Friday and Thursday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has urged Californians to take precautions as the dangerous heatwave continues. Through various initiatives such as Listos California, Cal OES is deploying in-language preparedness messaging to most impacted communities and those at risk during extreme temperatures. The Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications (OCPSC) is also deploying in-language messaging to higher risk communities through Heat Ready CA. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) is reminding employers to protect workers from heat illness during high temperatures, while the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) develops heat guidance for schools, local health jurisdictions, and other community service providers to protect Californians.
The Extreme Heat Action Plan to Build Community Resilience by the California Natural Resources Agency and state climate partners is addressing longer-term impacts of climate change and extreme heat events. The plan includes initiatives such as green schoolyards and urban forestry initiatives, nature-based solutions, community organizations and ethnic media outreach, priority populations task force engagement, Cal/OSHA agriculture and construction industries heat illness prevention requirements training materials development, climate resiliency planning efforts by local governments and emergency managers for California's most impacted communities.
The extreme heat has become the most deadly weather-related event in California and the rest of the nation as climate change has made heat waves more intense, longer and frequent. Several fires have already started in California due to the hot and dry conditions.
