(Monday, July 1)

Onliner about heat warnings

By News staff

(Monday, July 1) An excessive heat warning and heat advisory begins Monday night and is expected to last through the week, which will include Independence Day (Thursday, July 4). There is also a red flag warning, meaning fire risk is high.

The heat advisory begins at 11 p.m. Monday – the first heat wave of the year – with gusty northerly winds of up to 25 mph and relative humidity as low as 10% expected in the East Bay Hills. Temperatures are expected to range from the upper 90s Monday to as high as 110 degrees from late Tuesday morning through Saturday evening.

The National Weather Service said high pressure has been building off the Pacific Coast and record high temperatures are expected for Tuesday afternoon through Friday night, at least. The timing is especially concerning because it falls during Fourth of July festivities on Thursday. Fireworks are illegal in Contra Costa County, but Cal Fire is on heightened alert.

The red flag warning is in place because the dry, windy conditions could lead to fires and their rapid spread in grasses and shrubbery. Residents are reminded to have their emergency fire plan in place and a “go bag” of essentials ready just in case.

Residents are reminded to never leave pets or children in vehicles, to stay indoors during the hot afternoon and early evening temperatures and to remain hydrated.

Walnut Creek officials said Tice Valley Gym on Tice Valley Boulevard just outside Rossmoor will not be open as an official cooling center, as it has in the past, but will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays for anyone who wants to drop in to escape the heat. Similarly, Rossmoor clubhouse buildings will be open during the day for residents who need a place to cool off, but these also are not official cooling centers.

It is during red flag warnings that conditions are often most ripe for PG&E to call a public safety power shutoff (PSPS) for a given area, to reduce the chances of PG&E equipment causing or exacerbating a wildfire. PG&E sends alerts to anyone with a PG&E account with as much lead time as possible, day or night, ahead of a planned shutoff. Alerts can be issued via email, phone call and/or text.