By News staff

(Tuesday, July 2) All three Rossmoor swimming pools were closed by 2 p.m. Tuesday as the expected heat wave drove temperatures to the century mark by early afternoon.

The outdoor pools at Hillside and Dollar were closed at 2 p.m. Tuesday, while the indoor pools at the Tice Creek Fitness Center were closed at noon Tuesday.

An excessive heat warning and heat advisory began 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.

Temperatures are expected to rise as high as 110 degrees starting Wednesday, with the heat wave expected to endure through at least 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. Gusty northerly winds of up to 25 mph and relative humidity as low as 10% are expected in the East Bay Hills throughout the week, which together are helping drive the red flag warning.

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.

PG&E spokeswoman Tamar Sarkissian said Tuesday there is no expectation of any PSPS being called in the East Bay, including Rossmoor.

But PG&E has reported isolated, usually short, unplanned power outages occurring around central Contra Costa County since Monday afternoon, and more such outages could happen in the area over the next several days.