MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES–The National Weather Service Hanford Office (NWS)is warning community members that dangerous high temperatures up to 109 in the valley and 112 in the Kern County Desert will be observed during the three-day heat wave. Overnight low temperatures will stay in the 70s and provide little relief.
An Excessive Heat (Wave) Warning will go into effect this morning, Wednesday June 5, at 11 AM PDT. It will continue through at least 8 PM PDT on Friday.
Temperatures will lower this weekend but are forecast to
still be around 5 to 10 degrees above normal.
The NWS warns residents and visitors to the area that local rivers and streams are running swift and cold. They can be very dangerous, even for experienced swimmers.
Warm air temperatures do NOT mean warm water temperatures! Temperatures Thursday afternoon can possibly reach past 105 degrees across the San Joaquin Valley. This means the difference between the air and water temperatures could exceed 50 degrees. Keep in mind, cold water VERY quickly removes heat from the body, creating loss of dexterity. Water temperatures under 70 degrees takes around 30 minutes for loss of dexterity, under 60 degrees takes 10 to 15 minutes, and under 50 degrees can take less than 5 minutes. Play it smart around rivers and streams.
Heat is typically the leading cause of weather-related fatalities each year. Heat waves have the potential to cover a large area, exposing a high number of people to a hazardous combination of heat and humidity, which can be very taxing on the body. Learn how to stay safe during a heat wave at weather.gov/heat
Cooling Sites
Madera County
