Following a month of three-digit record high temperatures and a daily average of 83 degrees, October opened with sizzling temperatures ranging from highs in the upper 80s along the beach to three-digit temperatures peaking at 108 degrees in some valley areas. Fueled by single digit humidity levels, a list of red flag warnings has been issued by the National Weather Service in the mountain and forest regions. Even a single cigarette butt could act as the catalyst for a wildfire that consumes hundreds of acres in this heat and dry weather.
In September, LA County Director of Public Health Jonathan E. Fielding reminded residents to take precautions, “especially by older adults, caretakers of infants and children, individuals who participate in outdoor activities, and individuals who are sensitive to the heat.” Health officials extended this warning to October as they urged residents to be cautious of the heat, keeping hydrated, lightly dressed, and avoiding vigorous outdoor activity.
Meanwhile, students continued to express their heat-induced agitation and weariness. One student from North Hollywood, Rebecca Uber, complained that her schedule had been disordered as her tennis game scheduled for October 1 was postponed, due to the heat, to the day she had to perform for the school marching band. Several other students only responded with short and weary replies of “it’s hot” and “the weather….,” emphasizing the exhaustion caused by the blistering weather. The hackneyed statements have become a daily ritual for students as they find no solution for dealing with the heat.
However, the National Weather Service presented welcome news by predicting that relief from the heat is forthcoming as it expects temperatures to drop over the course of the first week of October. With some news from the National Weather service forecasting a “weak or moderate” El Nino, as they seek relief from the heat, Californians can expect to see moderate drops in temperature accompanied by a possible wet winter.
