Summertime in Southern California means high temperatures, and the beginning of this week looks to be a scorcher, weather officials say.
The National Weather Service stated that mountain, desert and interior valley communities will see highs of at least 110 degrees on Monday and Tuesday.
Coastal areas won’t see much relief; according to NWS, communities there could see temperatures exceed 105 degrees on Monday and Tuesday.
“The hot, dry and locally breezy conditions will bring elevated fire weather concerns away from the coast during this period, including the potential for large vertical plume growth,” weather officials said.
An Excessive Heat Warning is in place for the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys as well as the entire Inland Empire until Tuesday night.
SoCal residents are advised that the excessive heat poses a high risk for dangerous heat illness “for anyone,” especially young children, the elderly, individuals without air conditioning and people who like to be outside.
The latter group was out en masse at the Hansen Dam in the San Fernando Valley on Sunday; KTLA 5’s Annie Rose Ramos spoke to many people who were out on strolls, runs, and dog walks as the morning went on.
“I beat the heat [by] coming out before it gets to 103 degrees,” said Oscar Delgado, who was about to begin an eight-mile run at 7 a.m.
Delgado was also wearing a specialized backpack fit with a compartment for water, a tube to drink out of while running and a whistle to alert others in case of an emergency.
Hours later at 9 a.m., Ramos spoke with a couple who were originally planning on taking their dogs on their usual two-mile walk but didn’t because they got too hot.
By the time 10 a.m. rolled around, the path she was standing on was virtually empty except for a few brave souls, including one woman who was attempting to run 13 miles.
“I don’t know…I might not [make it all 13 miles] but we’ll see,” she said.
Cooling centers have been activated across Los Angeles at the following locations as of 10 a.m. Sunday:
- Lincoln Heights Senior Citizen Center
- Lake View Terrace Recreation Center
- Mid Valley Senior Citizen Center
- Fred Roberts Recreation Center
- Jim Gilliam Recreation Center
Each location will be open Sunday through at least Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
In addition, most other L.A. Recreation and Parks facilities can serve as cooling centers, as can all L.A. City Public Library branches.
For the most up-to-date forecast for your community, click here.
The official state guide on how to stay cool during periods of excessive heat can be found here.