Southern California has experienced a series of triple-digit temperatures over the past few days as part of a widespread heatwave scorching an area that spans over three states in the Southwestern US, the National Weather Service reported.
Residents of the hottest regions in California are facing temperatures well into the 100s, from 119 degrees in Woodland Hills to 115 degrees in Riverside.
Air quality regulators warned of unhealthy breathing conditions tied to the heat and some schools in the Los Angeles area ended classes early on Friday due to the weather and power outages. Meanwhile, numerous other cities in the state also saw record-breaking temperatures. In Pasadena, rolling outages were issued after the extreme heat caused an equipment failure.
In LA’s Los Feliz neighborhood, firefighters spent nearly six hours working to rescue a construction worker trapped inside an 8-foot deep trench surrounded by soil reaching up to his shoulders as the temperature reached 103 degrees Thursday. Two of the firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion, with one of them taken to a hospital, while the trapped worker was left in serious condition and also had to be rushed to a hospital after being stuck underground in the sweltering heat for hours.
According to the National Weather Service, more than 31 million people in California, Nevada and Arizona were under an excessive heat warning issued by forecasters as temperatures soared Friday. The warning of “dangerously hot conditions” extends from the southernmost end of Central California all the way across Southern California to the U.S.-Mexico border.
More northern parts of California are under a less severe heat advisory that’s also warning of weather hotter than usual.
“As temperatures are forecast to continue to soar into the triple digits, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health urges residents to take precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke and heat cramps,” said Dr. Anish Mahajan, chief deputy director of the LA health department.
The South Coast Air Quality Management District reported that ozone pollution, specifically “ground-level ozone” which develops when gases from pollution interact with sunlight and form ozone smog, is currently at concerning levels across Orange County, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The regulator issued an ozone advisory that will remain in effect until Monday at 8 p.m.
Forecasters have issued a red flag warning in parts of LA, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties pertaining to the risk of wildfires potentially starting and spreading quickly due to especially dry, hot conditions, telling people in high-risk areas to be ready to evacuate. In San Bernardino County, a wildfire grew to more than 1,100 acres after starting the day before and triggering evacuation warnings.
In Southern California, the advisory is expected to last until Monday night, after forecasters extended an earlier warning that was supposed to end Friday.
