Even More Dangerous Heat, Powerful Winds Descend On Southland Friday
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A hot air mass that will settle over the Southland Friday sent the mercury peaking into the low 90s into the weekend, with potential record-breaking temperatures creating challenges for Angelenos who are under stay-at-home orders amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A heat advisory will remain through 6 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service reports.
CBS2 Meteorologist Danielle Gersh called the heat "extreme and dangerous."
Temperatures are about 20 degrees higher than what they usually average for this time of year, Gersh said. Highs at this time of April are in the low 70s.
"Today, tomorrow are going to be your two hottest days of this heat wave, with more records into this afternoon, and possibly more records into tomorrow as well," Gersh said. Yesterday we tied records in places like Camarillo and Burbank."
RELATED: Angelenos Urged To Resist Going To Neighboring County Beaches During Heat Wave
The L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks has opened four cooling centers. They will be open Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. They will follow social distancing guidelines.
They are located at:
- Lincoln Heights Senior Center: 2323 Workman St. Los Angeles.
- Mid-Valley Senior Center at Sepulveda Recreation Center: 8825 Kester Avenue, Panorama City.
- Robert Wilkinson Multipurpose Center: 8956 Vanalden Ave. Northridge.
- Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center: 5056 Van Nuys Blvd. Sherman Oaks.
L.A. County Public Health Director Dr. Barbara Ferrer, advised people not to get in their cars and drive to other counties that might have loosened restrictions along the coast, noting that they could still be exposed to the coronavirus then bring it back home.
Some beaches in Orange County, such as Huntington Beach and Newport Beach, remain open, although most parking lots are closed -- making parking difficult if not impossible -- and social-distancing requirements remain in force. There were about 9,000 people at Huntington Beach Thursday, lifeguards told CBS2.
Seal Beach, Laguna Beach, The Wedge in Newport Beach and San Clemente State Beach remain closed.
RELATED: Malibu To Rest Of SoCal: Please Don't Come To Our Beaches, Help 'Protect Our Seniors'
"It's very important even with the good weather that people do not congregate together outside," Ferrer said.
Malibu Mayor Karen Farrer Thursday pleaded with visitors to stay away.
"Please stay safe at home, and enjoy the outdoors in your neighborhood or in your backyard," Farrer told CBS2.
Wind advisories were in effect for several areas, with moderate to gusty winds possibly downing trees and creating power outages. The strongest winds will sweep the Interstate 5 corridor in the San Gabriel Mountains, the Antelope and Santa Clarita valleys and along the coast, according to the NWS.
Gusts of up to 75 miles per hour are possible in some areas.
Meanwhile, the L.A. County Fire Department issued a warning to homeowners after seeing a surge in house fires over the past few weeks.
"In home fires, a properly-prepared and maintained window, clear of obstacles, may provide the quickest, safest way out," LACFD Chief Daryl L. Osby said in a statement. "In the event of a fire, crawling low in the smoke and trying to find your way to the front door isn't the most effective way to escape, because residential fires often originate in the living room or kitchen where these doors are located. Now is the time to speak with all family members and individuals living at home about how to stay safe from home fires."
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)
