Cooling centers open across SoCal as August heat wave sends temperatures soaring

With a midsummer heat wave sending temperatures soaring in Southern California, cooling centers have been opened across the region to help people -- especially the most vulnerable -- beat the heat.

Los Angeles County cooling centers

In L.A. County, dozens of cooling centers are open to the public and are listed at ready.lacounty.gov, along with their hours of operation.

Officials also suggest other ways to escape the heat, including visiting public air-conditioned facilities such as such as movie theatres, shopping malls, as well as outdoor facilities like county pools and splash pads.

For resources available in the city of Los Angeles call 3-1-1, call the Library Information Office at (213) 228-7555, or visit the Los Angeles "Beat the Heat" webpage.

Mayor Karen Bass urged residents to take advantage of available cooling centers. The centers are available at various Recreation and Parks facilities, with a list available at laparks.org/reccenter, and at public libraries, listed at lapl.org/branches.

For resources in other cities throughout Los Angeles County, call or find your local city website from this list.

Orange County cooling centers

"Avoid being outside in the direct heat for a long time," Orange County officials suggest. "Try to stay in air-conditioned spaces, at home with your A/C set between 75-80, or at your local library, shopping mall, or community center. If staying home, keep blinds closed and wear loose, light-colored, lightweight clothing."

The website ocgov.com also recommends staying hydrated by sipping water throughout the day and avoiding caffeine and alcohol.

A list of OC cooling centers is available here.

Riverside County cooling centers

Health officials this week highlighted the perils of heat-related illnesses, and offered the public prevention tips to protect themselves.

"Extreme heat can be dangerous for everyone, especially for those who work outdoors, as well as for older adults, young children, pregnant women, those with heart disease and individuals who have other chronic medical conditions," Riverside County Public Heath Officer Jennifer Chevinsky said.

A list of the county's more than 50 cooling centers is available here.

"Cool centers provide a safe place to cool down and can also help residents reduce energy costs during extreme heat," said Karla Lopez del Rio, the executive director of Community Action Partnership.

San Bernardino County cooling centers

"The summer heat can be dangerous, and everyone should take the right steps to stay safe. Heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be very serious, especially for those who are more vulnerable," San Bernardino County Health Officer Dr. Sharon Wang said in a statement. "By keeping cool, drinking plenty of water, and staying informed, we can protect ourselves and those we care about from extreme heat."

San Bernardino County's cooling centers are listed here.

Tips for staying safe amid extreme heat

Among the most serious heat-related illnesses that can occur is heat stroke, which happens when the body is no longer able to control its temperature. Warning signs include confusion, loss of consciousness, hot and dry skin and seizures. When a person is experiencing heat stroke, officials said someone should dial 911, move the person to a cooler area and apply cold, wet cloths in order to lower body temperature.

A less severe but still dangerous illness is heat exhaustion, with symptoms including headaches, nausea, dizziness, weakness, thirst, heavy sweating and irritability. Treatments applied to a person experiencing heat exhaustion are moving to a cool, shaded area, removing unnecessary clothing and drinking cool water.

Health officials suggest a number of prevention tips including drinking plenty of water throughout the day, wearing lightweight, light-colored, loose- fitting clothing, avoiding strenuous activity outdoors, and checking on elderly neighbors.

Most importantly, children and pets must never be left inside a vehicle without air conditioning on for even a minute, as death can occur quickly.