Community Corner
Records Fall as West Valley Temperatures Soar
Cooler weather is expected across the region on Sunday and Monday
Temperatures cracked 105 in Chatsworth and Northridge Friday.
Blame it on an upper-level high pressure and weak offshore flow. It caused the Southland to bake in dry, above-normal heat, with record-high temperatures set in downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach and UCLA, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The 104-degree high in Long Beach erased the previous record for a Sept. 14 of 96 set in 1979. The 100-degree temperature in downtown broke the previous record of 99 set in 1894.
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The 97-degree temperature at UCLA broke the previous record of 92 set in 1937.
Highs also reached 107 in San Gabriel, 106 in Pasadena and Woodland Hills, 105 in Pomona, 104 in Burbank, at the Getty Center and Saugus, 103 in Van Nuys and 101 in Acton.
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This was the first time the downtown temperature was at or above 100 since Sept. 27, 2010 when it reached 113. Until Friday, this was the only day in September with a record of less than 100 in downtown, where records date back to 1877.
Similar conditions are expected for Saturday, with highs forecast for 106 in Pasadena, San Gabriel and Woodland Hills, 104 in Burbank and Saugus, 100 in downtown Los Angeles, 99 in Long Beach, 98 in Lancaster, 97 in Palmdale and 88 at Los Angeles International Airport.
A cooling trend is expected to begin Sunday.
Los Angeles County Director of Public Health and Health Officer Jonathan E. Fielding advised the public "to take special care of themselves, children, the elderly, and their pets."
"When temperatures are high, prolonged sun exposure may cause dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke," Fielding said.
"Never leave children, elderly people, or pets unattended in vehicles, even with the windows 'cracked' or open, as temperatures inside can quickly rise to life-threatening levels."
A list of cooling centers and other heat-related information is available on the Los Angeles County Public Health Web site at publichealth.lacounty.gov.
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