Coronavirus complicates heat wave that’s coming, Modesto’s first in a month
Summer heat will spike this week in the Modesto area, peaking at 105 degrees on Saturday, the National Weather Service predicts.
It would be the first time over 100 since the 104 degrees on July 12, according to the Modesto Irrigation District.
The Weather Service forecasts a high of 96 on Wednesday, 99 on Thursday, 102 on Friday, 105 on Saturday and 102 on Sunday. The outlook dips to 99 on Monday and heats back up to 102 on Tuesday.
Complicating the heat wave is the coronavirus pandemic, which has closed several options for people to access air conditioning: Vintage Faire Mall, movie theaters, community centers.
Royjindar Singh, a spokesman for the Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services, said officials are working to find options for cooling centers.
“The libraries have been closed but they (often) will open up for this reason,” Singh said. That happened the last time the county experienced a hot spell like this one, in July.
The downtown Modesto library branch, for example, opens up its basement area. Access to library materials is not available, but there are chairs spaced apart for social distancing to slow the spread of the virus.
OES staff also provides masks and face coverings to the sites for people who don’t have them.
It does not appear that there is much relief from the heat in sight anytime soon.
Detailed forecasts are not provided past early next week, but the federal Climate Prediction Center indicates that the rest of August will be above average.
How to stay safe in the heat
The Weather Service said the heat wave will pose a high risk to people in the Northern San Joaquin Valley and adjacent Sierra Nevada foothills. The advice:
- Avoid yard work or exercise at the hottest times
- Make sure pets have shady spots and water outside
- Drink water but avoid caffeine and alcohol
Check on neighbors who might be vulnerable
Be careful in swimming pools and other bodies of water
Watch out for West Nile virus
Hot weather also brings about increased concern about West Nile virus, spread by mosquitoes. Stanislaus County has been a hot spot for West Nile, accounting for eight of 10 cases statewide so far this year, according to California health officials.
West Nile can result in symptoms ranging from a fever, headache and body aches to brain inflammation. Only about 1 percent of those infected become seriously ill, and most people who get West Nile never develop any symptoms at all. Most of the cases in Stanislaus County were discovered when donated blood was tested.
Summer days also can be mild
Temperatures over 100 are not unusual in the Northern San Joaquin Valley. The recent month-long break was a bit of an anomaly.
There even were a pair of days in the 80s: 83 on Aug. 5 and 88 the next day, per MID.
If Saturday does indeed peak at 105 in Modesto, it would break the record for the date of 104 in 1996.
Information on cooling centers is available at the StanEmergency website. Click on “Weather Advisory”.
