Weather services warn of increased health risks
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Los Angeles County, warning about “dangerously hot conditions with temperatures up to 90 degrees [F] possible” (32 C) from Wednesday through Sunday evening and an increased risk of heat-related health issues.
High temperatures of about 87 degrees F (30 C) on Wednesday and up to 89 degrees F (31 C) on Thursday are expected through the week, with lows in the 50s. This is almost 20 degrees F above the average highs for this time of year, according to Joe Sirard, a National Weather Service meteorologist quoted by NBC News.
Local weather services have also issued excessive heat watches, an unusual measure for February, according to The Washington Post. Excessive heat watches are issued when spells of dangerous weather are likely to occur within one to three days.
The current watch covers Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys, and downtown Los Angeles, as well as Burbank, Anaheim, Santa Ana, and Newport Beach.
The period of extreme heat is likely to coincide with the Super Bowl on Sunday, which starts at 3:30pm local time. The event usually attracts a lot of visitors from around the US, and the weather conditions can be especially dangerous for those who come from colder areas, despite the SoFi stadium having a hi-tech roof that can facilitate cooling. Los Angeles NWS made a Twitter post with advice for travelers from other states.
The predicted temperatures beat the latest records of 85 degrees F (29 C), observed in February in 2016, with records being kept since 1944. This year is the first time since 2006 that an excessive heat warning has been issued in Southern California at this time of year: all of the previous heat watches were issued in Los Angeles from May to October.
Average winter temperatures for Los Angeles have increased by two degrees Fahrenheit since 1948 – a global climate-warming trend which can be witnessed across all seasons through most parts of the Earth, as The Washington Post article concludes.
