Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
August 29, 2022
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued an excessive heat watch starting Wednesday morning through Labor Day weekend.
Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures up to 105 degrees possible in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties.
For Santa Barbara, temperatures are expected to be in the low 80s for most of the week, peaking close to 90 on Sunday and Monday. Santa Ynez is prepping for a high of 104 degreesthis week, Santa Maria at 94 degrees, and 92 degrees in Carpinteria.
NWS warns that extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. Be prepared to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.
Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. This is especially true during warm or hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.
Update by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department
HEALTH ALERT DURING EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING
High Temperatures Anticipated for Parts of Santa Barbara County
The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is issuing a Health Alert due to the Excessive Heat Warning issued by the National Weather Service for much of Santa Barbara County from 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 31, 2022 through 8 p.m. on Monday, September 5, 2022. The Public Health Department is urging residents to take the necessary safety measures to avoid heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Community members are strongly encouraged to take the following precautions whenever temperatures are on the rise:
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Take care of those who might not be aware of the danger or be able to react accordingly – especially the elderly, young children, and pets. Check on your neighbors.
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Wear appropriate clothing. Lightweight, light-colored, loose fitting clothing works best.
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Drink plenty of cool, non-alcoholic beverages, especially those without sugar or caffeine. Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink. If you have fluid restrictions from your doctor, ask to see how much you should drink while the weather is hot.
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Limit outdoor activity. Try to schedule outdoor activities during the cooler parts of the day, like morning and evening hours. Be sure to wear sunscreen and rest often.
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Take regular breaks in the shade or in an air-conditioned room. A few hours in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler. Taking a cool shower or bath can help too.
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If you do not have air‐conditioning, consider arranging to spend at least parts of the day at another space that is cool. Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, they will not prevent heat-related illness.
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For those who work outside, be sure to take frequent rest breaks in a shaded area or air-conditioned room, if possible. Stay hydrated and take action by moving to a cooler space if you feel signs of heat exhaustion.
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Know the signs of heat exhaustion. If someone becomes dizzy, nauseated, or sweats heavily, find a cooler location for him or her immediately.
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Know the signs of heat stroke. Heat stroke is much more serious than heat exhaustion. The symptoms are similar to heat exhaustion, but also include hot, flushed skin. With heat stroke, the person often stops sweating and the skin will be unusually dry. If heat stroke is a possibility, call 911 immediately. Heat stroke is life threatening!
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Do not leave children (and pets) unattended in vehicles. It only takes a matter of minutes on a relatively mild day for a vehicle to reach deadly temperatures.
Make a plan for keeping cool during the hot weather days ahead. For more information about the excessive heat forecast, visit https://www.readysbc.org/3446/Excessive-Heat- Forecast-August-31-Septem.
Will be interesting to see how this plays out. There was a heatwave around this time of year a couple years ago that got a lot hotter than these predictions. Hopefully this years heatwave will be a milder one.
In the July heatwave wind turbine generation in Texas dropped to only 8% of capacity. From ERCOT, the Texas equivalent of CAISO:
https://www.ercot.com/news/release?id=90030206-5cf5-db8e-13d1-f8fe2bd0128f