Santee resident Grace Barrigan stopped by the Lakeside library for a book — and a brief break from the heat — on Wednesday.
“It’s been really hot out here in East County,” she said. “I already went swimming, now I’m here at the library, and I’ll be in the house for the rest of the day reading my book I picked up.”
Down the street, Lindo Lake County Park-goers donned plenty of sun protection for their morning walks. Temperatures are expected to reach 91 degrees in Lakeside later that afternoon. Eddie Kellogg wore a large straw hat, a long sleeve shirt and sun protection gloves.
“Drink fluids, stay hydrated, pay attention to your attire,” he said.
Benjamin Poirier was at the skate park nearby. He said finding shade throughout the day helped him avoid getting headaches.
“When summer hits, I always get up a little earlier; always have sunscreen,” he said. “I’m hydrated, and I always have my hat on.”
The National Weather Service is warning of dangerously high temperatures later this week in the San Diego county valleys, including in Escondido, El Cajon, La Mesa, Poway, Santee and San Marcos. They expect high temperatures to reach 95 to 100 degrees on Friday and Saturday.
National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Tardy said in a webinar that a heat dome is covering California and will likely stick around through the weekend.
“Our mountains are affected, our valleys are affected, and really the only relief is the beach,” he said. “This is a scenario where our coastal areas can still get excessively hot, our overnight low temperatures are warm. This is unusual.”
San Diegans can go to air-conditioned Cool Zones at the county’s libraries, community centers and other locations. A list of Cool Zones, along with hours and holiday closure information is available online.
Heatstroke and heat exhaustion symptoms include dizziness, confusion, headaches and nausea. The county recommends drinking plenty of water, avoiding unnecessary sun exposure and wearing light, loose-fitting clothing.
