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| Hot Summer in Inland Valley of Southern California ©PK Hawk |
I have refrained from mentioning the weather again, but the last few days in my area of Southern California, things have been really cooking. Yesterday's highest temperature in my little corner of the globe, it reached 114.6 at 1:15 PM, with the humidity at 10%. That low humidity saved us. A few neighbors were even out and about, while most stayed inside air conditioned homes. This area does get warmer than the coastal areas of SoCal, as we are approximately sixty miles or so inland, as the crow flies, and are sitting at about the 1,300 foot elevation.
I have been in E-mail contact with my old neighbor, who lives farther from the lake, and he said it was only slightly cooler there, and the humidity was actually higher than where I live, which is only a few hundred feet from the lakeshore.
My dogs certainly appreciate the cooler atmosphere inside, with the air conditioner running, even though by day's end it can be in the mid to upper eighties when the outside temperatures climb as they have the last half of this week.
Would you believe, my neighbor is out raking his yard, and it's 109 degrees outside. Of course the area he is raking, is in the shade of a tree we share, but so is my outdoor thermometer sensor.
Right now, on Sunday, August 28th, it is now 11:18 AM, and it's already 108.5, with 19% humidity. So, if it really gets nearly as hot as yesterday, and the humidity stays higher, it will be suffocating. Generally, though, when our temperatures really go up, our humidity drops considerably, which is the saving factor. Most people who have lived in this climate for many years, pretty much go about their business, and just drink a lot of liquids, such as water, which is the best thing to do. Other residents, may drink some sports drink, which really isn't nearly a helpful or healthful as plain water, or maybe some water to which you have added a slight amount of citrus juice, for flavor. Drinking alcohol or sugary drinks actually are not the best thing to drink, and they actually are diuretics, and can actually make you more dehydrated. The same goes for drinking iced tea or coffee, since they usually have caffeine, which not only causes you to lose moisture, but also constricts your blood vessels, which makes your natural cooling system less efficient.
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| View from space of a hurricane (Not Irene which is larger) |
As we consider friends and acquaintances on the east coast, we are naturally concerned about their safety with the storm which is pounding them presently.
Most people in Florida, and some of the central coastal states may be accustomed to hurricanes, Irene, even though it has weakened, it is gigantic, and very slow moving. This could mean the people lying in lower elevations are being flooded. My friend who lives in the northern portion of the coastal area of the country, said they had already gotten three inches of rain early this morning, and were expecting possible up to ten more inches before the storm dies out.
Whether you are roasting or being soaked, our thoughts are with you. Be prepared, and stay safe, everyone.
Hurricane death toll rises to eighteen from Florida up the coast. Most were killed when fallen trees, fallen power lines fell in water where people happened to be. At least one man was killed while surfing in the storm driven waves were lashing the coastline. On eleven year old boy was killed when a tree fell on the apartment where he lived. Such tragedy in a storm that has remained minor in strength, but has covered a huge area, and brought with it heavy, and long lasting rains, and winds which have felled many trees, knocked down signs, and blown heavy roofing material off buildings, which caused major damage, and has unfortunately cost the lives of several people.
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