Bay Area heat wave as summer arrives
The first day of summer served up some serious conditions in the Bay Area: a heat advisory and triple-digit conditions added up to danger. It was 101 in Fairfield, 100 in Concord and 101 in Livermore. Ann Notarangelo was in Martinez where some people actually had to be sent to the hospital.
By 2:30 Tuesday at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center they already treated eight cases of heat exhaustion, one case of heat stroke, and most of the patients were children.
Instead of a swimming pool in temperatures hovering near triple digits, some Concord kids were at a tennis camp.
"At the beginning of the day I felt like I had lots of energy but by the end of the day I felt like sitting on the couch and dying," says Jynessa Vallado.
On the court it was 120 degrees, in the shade 95. Tennis coach Shane Farley had a plan for the heat.
"You can tell they are definitely more tired that just means we take more water breaks, sit in the shade as much as possible. We still play our games and teach. They get through it as long as we make sure we step up the amount of water and rest they get," says Farley.
Signs of heat exhaustion include being tired, nauseous, sweating, red-in-the face.
If you stop sweating or become disoriented you need medical attention. And one of the reasons the county ER is seeing so many on the first day of summer is our cool spring left many of us unprepared
"Usually you get acclimated to heat over time. You go from spring to summer and you gradually get warmer weather, but we went from very, very cool to warm suddenly, but people aren't used to the heat yet, " says Dr. Brenda Reily with Contra Costa Medical Center.
Contra Costa health services reminds people air conditioning is the best way to ward off heat related illness, and they know they'll see their share of older patients who put up with the heat to save money.
"A lot of people are on a fixed income and they are afraid to run the air conditioner and that's understandable," says Reily. "But on days like this it's really important to run your air conditioning and be comfortable."
Malls, libraries, and movie theaters are some places to cool down.
Back at the tennis camp one youth had his own special way of cooling down:pouring water from his water bottle on his head. He says he's been waiting all day to do that.
The latest weather forecast shows there is some relief in sight with the return of June gloom, a blanket of low clouds and fog pushing back to shore.
Cooler air mass means the temperature will come down. You can expect under the triple digits east of the bay with 90s in Fairfield, Concord, and Livermore. Around the bay and the Peninsula it will be in the 70s and 80s. It will be cooler on the coast with patchy fog and 60 degree temperatures. Highs in the mid-80s to lower 90s are expected in the South Bay.
Check the forecast in your area.
Cooling will continue into the next few days into the weekend.
Photo caption: Girls at a Concord tennis camp. (CBS)
