Over the weekend beaches, pools and cooling centers were packed with residents trying to escape the heat. In east L.A., people turned to ice for a quick cool-down.
They stood in line in the blistering heat outside one supplier just to buy bags and blocks of ice.
And beaches all along the coast were packed.
150,000 people sought relief on the beach in Santa Monica Saturday.
ABC7 Eyewitness News reports:
- Granda: Heat causing power outages (Video)
- Holguin: Electrical transformers explode (Video)
- Dador: Hot temps pose health dangers (Video)
- Miller: Tourist visit the L.A. County Arboretum (Video)
- Hernandez: Families wait in line at public pools (Video)
- Frere: Locals escape the heat at the beach (Video)
- Garcia: Firefighters working extra due to heat (Video)
- McMillan: Construction workers brave the heat (Video)
- Stallworth: Seniors head to cooling stations (Video)
- Danny Romero: Latest weather forecast (Video)
- Miranda: Heat illnesses hard on outdoor workers
Weather Resources:
- 7 Day Forecast: Latest update
- PDF: Notice from Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks: Cooling centers and pool locations
- Map: High Temps
- Map: UV Index
- PDF: Operation Splash
- PDF: L.A. County cooling centers
- PDF: San Bernardino County cooling centers
- Link: Inland Empire cooling centers
- Link: CDC: Extreme heat prevention guide
- Link: Red Cross health & safety tips
In the San Gabriel Valley, many residents were just trying to keep cool after another day of triple-digit temperatures.
On Friday, records were broken up and down the state.
Some are saying the heat has been almost painful.
The Southland heat wave resulted in another record today for electricity use by Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers, which contributed to power outages, a utility official said.
Today's DWP electricity use peaked at 3:10 p.m. with 5,257 megawatts, the most ever for a Sunday in June, said DWP spokeswoman Terry Schneider. The previous record, set June 4, 2006, was 4,441 megawatts, she said.
"That's 816 million watts difference from just two years ago," Schneider said. "That is a huge increase in customer demand for power. Again, we want to stress conservation."
Saturday, DWP set a record for peak demand on a Saturday in June.
Thursday, DWP customers set a record for the highest peak demand ever in June, when demand reached 5,856 megawatts, and Friday the utility reported power use near the all-time record peak demand of 6,165 megawatts of electricity, which was set on July 24, 2006.
About 2,000 DWP customers -- 300 in Canoga park and 1,000 scattered across the San Fernando Valley and metro Los Angeles area -- were without electricity this afternoon, Schneider said.
Not all of the outages were caused by the weather. About 675 customers in Woodland Hills were without power because at 3:16 p.m. a tree fell on power lines at Wells Drive and Corbin Street, she said.
Southern California Edison, reported that 928 of its 4.8 million customers were without power, including 418 customers in Los Angeles County, and 372 in Orange County, said the utility's Lauren Bartlett.
The hardest hit areas included Lomita, Long Beach, Hawthorne and Rancho Palos Verdes in Los Angeles County and Irvine, Garden Grove, Orange, Foothill Ranch and Stanton in Orange County.
At least one death has been linked to the heat, a 77-year-old woman who apparently left her car near the California-Arizona line south of Lake Havasu, Ariz., on Monday in search of her elderly husband.
Here are a few tips from the Centers for Disease Control to avoid heat-related illnesses:
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Wear light, loose-fitting clothing
- Use sunscreen
- Limit outdoor activities to the morning and evening hours
- Do not leave children or pets in cars
- Check on those at high risk, including infants, children, and the elderly
Signs of heat stroke include:
- An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F, orally)
- Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
- Rapid, strong pulse
- Throbbing headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Unconsciousness
Signs of heat exhaustion include:
- Heavy sweating
- Paleness
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Nausea or vomiting
- Fainting
Portions of this story were reported on by Wendy Burch.
