Historic heat wave lingers in San Diego County
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
San Diego County's dangerously hot weather continues this week, with an excessive heat warning in effect through Thursday.
Why it matters: Extreme heat is San Diego's most widespread climate risk, exposing significant health issues and raising the threat of wildfires.
Zoom in: The valleys, mountains and desert areas expect to see triple-digit temperatures up to 120 degrees and an elevated fire concern this week, per the National Weather Service.
- Such prolonged heat for consecutive days is quite anomalous for San Diego County, NWS meteorologist Adam Roser told Axios.
- The county has distinct microclimates, so temperatures will rise in coastal and urban neighborhoods, but even more inland.
- Residents can visit air-conditioned Cool Zones at dozens of libraries, community centers and other locations around San Diego County.
Threat level: Despite the heat, California's power grid remains stable and residents should not have to reduce their energy usage, the Union-Tribune reported.
The big picture: The historic heatwave that's engulfed California since last week has broken dozens of records and fueled wildfires across the West.
- It poses an "extreme" health risk for tens of millions of people, including local residents.
- Heat risk levels are high enough to endanger "anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration," according to the NWS.
Context: Excessive heat has led to hundreds of deaths and cost the state billions of dollars over the past decade, CalMatters reported.
Zoom out: Across the nation, heatwaves are becoming longer, more frequent and more intense, according to a recent EPA report.
- Yes, but: Even with slightly more frequent heatwaves in San Diego County, the metro area hasn't seen significant changes like San Francisco and other major U.S. cities.
Between the lines: Multiple studies show human-caused climate change, largely from burning fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, has greatly increased the odds of heatwaves and led them to become more intense and lengthy, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.
What's next: San Diego's extreme heat is expected to subside at the end of the week, ushering in more humid air and a chance of monsoon thunderstorms in desert and mountain areas over the weekend, according to Roser.