Los Angeles hits 121 degrees (video)

New York Times via News Leader, Sept. 6, 2020; Ashley Wells, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Heat wave roasts Southern California with record of 121 degrees

(NY Times/News Leader) Los Angeles County set a new high temperature record as a potentially cooling sea breeze remained trapped offshore, according to the National Weather Service. Scorching temperatures continued to bake Southern California on Sunday, with a record of 121 degrees set in L.A. County and at least one death, a 41-year-old hiker, suspected to be related to the heat.

The record 121-degree reading, in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of downtown L.A., eclipsed a record of 119, set in July 2006, according to Dave Bruno, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s L.A./Oxnard forecasting office. “When all is said and done, there will probably be a dozen official records today, at least daily records, and several monthly or all-time records today,” Mr. Bruno said. “Very, very hot day,” he added.

“Some places never fell below 100 degrees last night, which is very unusual around here. This is quite a heat wave.” The region was locked in a heat wave because of a high-pressure system and an offshore flow that prevented the sea breeze from cooling the shore.

This gave rise to conditions that “allowed basically the entire region to roast,” Mr. Bruno said. An excessive heat warning was issued by the National Weather Service on Sunday night for parts of Southwest California, including parts of L.A., Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. It will remain in effect until Monday night at 8:00 p.m.

Monday [Labor Day] is expected to be slightly cooler, but on Tuesday night and Wednesday, meteorologists expect Santa Ana winds, which could worsen fires around the state, Mr. Bruno warned. High temperatures and low humidity dry out vegetation, and aided by the winds, a tossed cigarette, an improperly extinguished campfire or a spark from a car could ignite a blaze.

On Sunday, Burbank tied its highest temperature of 114 degrees; downtown L.A. reached 111 degrees, just shy of the record of 113 set in Dec. 2010, but surpassing the previously held Sept. 6 record high of 102. Some places in the foothills did not drop below 100 degrees overnight, Mr. Bruno said.

All sites monitored by the forecast office in Sacramento set or tied records, including Red Bluff, where a temperature of 113 degrees broke the previously held record of 109 set in 1957.

The L.A. Sheriff’s Department search and rescue team was called to the aid of a 41-year-old hiker around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, said David Katz, team leader of the group. The woman, who had begun hiking Tapia Park in Malibu Creek State Park around 8:00 a.m. that morning, had a seizure and paramedics were unable to resuscitate her. A report from the medical examiner on the cause of [heat stroke] death was pending.

There were three other heat-related rescues on Saturday, Mr. Katz said. The hiker’s death prompted state and national parks in the area to close for the weekend, but despite official recommendations to not hike, Mr. Katz saw lots of people on Sunday morning. More