After a historically wet winter and cloudy spring, the California summer was in full swing on Thursday, as a heat wave hitting much of the southwestern United States brings high temperatures and an increased risk of wildfires. forest.
Scorching conditions will develop Friday and through the weekend in central and southern California, where many residents must brace for the highest temperatures of the year, the National Weather Service warned.
Midday highs are expected to be above 38°C, and desert areas could approach 50°C, forecasters say. Little respite is expected for the night, when temperatures could approach 26.6°C. An excessive heat watch was in effect through Sunday for Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
“Now is not the time to go on hikes or stay outside for long periods of time,” the Los Angeles Weather Service office said on Twitter. If you have to work outside, shift your schedule to early morning, take frequent breaks, and stay hydrated! »
Employers have been reminded to follow regulations that require outdoor workers to have water, shade and regular breaks to cool off. The state will carry out spot checks at work sites to make sure the rules are being followed, warned Jeff Killip of the Occupational Safety and Health Division.
In the United States, more than 111 million people were under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings, mostly in the Southwest, the National Weather Service said Wednesday.
Forecasters say this long-lasting heat wave is extremely dangerous, especially for the elderly, the homeless and other vulnerable populations. The heat could persist into next week as a high pressure dome moves west from Texas. In Arizona, temperatures reached 43.3°C for more than a dozen consecutive days.
Horse racing has been canceled at the California State Fair near the state capitol over animal safety concerns.
Meanwhile, California’s wildfire season is intensifying amid heat and drought, with a series of blazes erupting across the state this week, the agency’s secretary said. natural resources, Wade Crowfoot.
“As we move further into the summer and the vegetation that grew in the wet spring dries out, we are seeing an increase in wildfire activity,” Crowfoot said Wednesday during a briefing. press.
He added that global climate change was “amplifying” heat waves. California has put in place a US$400 million extreme heat action plan to protect workers, help vulnerable communities and help local communities open cooling centers.
Authorities said the state’s power grid, which has been stretched to the point of causing widespread blackouts in recent years, has been beefed up and should be able to withstand the latest heat wave.
The California Independent System Operator, which operates the power grid, said battery storage capacity reached 5,600 megawatts on July 1, enough to power more than 3.8 million homes for four hours before recharging.
“The batteries added to the grid are charged during the day, when solar power is plentiful, and distributed primarily in the evening, when demand is still high, the sun is setting, and solar capacity is decreasing,” Cal ISO said. in a press release.