Heat warning issued in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is expecting another heat wave from today through at least Thursday. The City of Los Angeles has air-conditioned cooling centers at designated Recreation and Parks facilities open 10am-9pm. In addition, the Los Angeles Public Library’s branches also serve as cooling centers during their regular business hours.

A strengthening upper level high pressure system combined with weak offshore flow will bring another heat wave to the region through at least Thursday. The I-5 Corridor was added to the previously issued Red Flag Warning, and the Fire Weather Watch has been upgraded to a Red Flag Warning with the Eastern Santa Ynez Range added. Areas in the Red Flag Warning will have enhanced offshore winds at times during the period overlapping with the hot and very dry conditions, with humidities falling into the single digits. The hot and unstable conditions will bring very high mixing heights (similar to the Bridge Fire event) which will create favorable conditions for large vertical plume growth with any new fires.

Other cooling sites, including their locations and dates and hours of operation can be found at: Emergency.LACity.gov/Updates 

Augmented Cooling Centers are safe, free locations to rest and relax during extreme heat.  If you have lost power, you can also come to an augmented cooling center to charge your phone, charge a medical device or assistive device like a wheelchair, and get water. Augmented cooling centers also have refrigeration available for medications- please call the center prior to arriving to ensure that appropriate services are available.

Report outages so that the Department of Water and Power (DWP) is aware of them. Call 1-800-DIAL DWP (1-800-342-5397) or visit LADWP/Outages. For more information on what to do if you lose power, visit: LADWPNews.

Be prepared

Keep cool by resting in shady areas or buildings with air conditioning and drinking plenty of water. If you do not live in an air-conditioned building or your building has lost power, you can take refuge from the heat at a cooling center. You may call 311 to identify the cooling centers closest to you, or visit Ready.LACounty.gov/Heat to see a map of cooling center locations, and hours of operation. 

Help your community be prepared

Check on relatives and neighbors, especially if they have pre-existing health conditions or are sensitive to heat.  Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.  Additional information about staying safe during extreme heat, and other cooling resources can be found at Emergency.LACity.gov/Extreme-Heat.  

In 2019, the LA Department of Water and Power (DWP) began installing free hydration stations within the City as part of a multi-year program to add or refurbish 200 drinking water stations for the health of residents and visitors -- to be completed before the 2028 Olympics begin here.  As part of LA’s Green New Deal, the DWP has partnered with LA Recreation & Parks and General Services to open and maintain them. The new hydration stations are being placed in mostly public areas in all 15 City Council districts throughout the city to allow people to also fill their reusable water bottles with clean, refreshing water.

If you must be outside: 

Take extra precautions if you work, exercise, or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening, or until this period of extreme heat is over.  To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends frequent rest breaks in shaded or air conditioned environments and staying hydrated. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing when possible.  Employers must provide access to sufficient water. 

Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency; anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location, and then immediately call 911.  Non-emergency heat-related information call 311.