The Central Valley of California, which stretches from Sacramento to the outskirts of Los Angeles, is forecast to experience record high temperatures on Sunday. Authorities have issued a warning that the dangerous heat wave could continue to affect the state through the end of the week and put the limits of the electrical grid to the test.
Sunday was the sixth consecutive day that state police have urged local people to reduce their overall power use. This comes as demand for electricity has skyrocketed and temperatures continue to climb higher.
On Sunday, the Central Valley was where the majority of the area saw the highest temperatures. According to the National Weather Service, the temperature might reach 115 degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celsius) by the middle of the week. As a result, the organisation is advising citizens to remain inside in order to avoid heat-related illnesses.
The National Weather Service in Sacramento announced on Twitter on Sunday that “the heat wave starts in earnest today with hazardous temperatures now anticipated to linger through the end of the week.”
The city of San Diego in Southern California, which set a record temperature of 95 degrees on Saturday, might set another record on Sunday, according to Tony Fracasso, a forecaster with the National Weather Service. However, the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms might provide some relief from the heat.
In order to conserve power, the California Independent System Operator (ISO), which is in charge of the state’s electrical grid, has extended a “flex alert” for a fifth day and asked residents of the state to raise the temperature on their thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, refrain from using major home appliances, and turn off the lights.
The business said in an information release that “Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday in particular are shaping up to be the most tough of this heat wave.”
It went on to say that the existing wildfires in the state as well as the possibility for future flames might put further pressure on the power infrastructure by bringing down lines and turbines. More than twenty years of drought and increasing temperatures, both of which have been worsened by climate change, have rendered the state of California more prone to wildfires than it has ever been.
The temperature was expected to reach 95 degrees on Sunday in Siskiyou County, which is located in Northern California. This county is the location where firefighters have been fighting the rapidly spreading Mill Fire, which has forced hundreds of people to leave their homes.
According to a video that was uploaded to social media by the office of the Sheriff of Siskiyou County, Jeremiah LaRue, the footage was shown at a community meeting on Sunday, and he said that the fire claimed the lives of two people.
It has been forecasted that the temperatures would reach top 100 levels during the next several days. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as of Sunday morning, the blaze had already consumed more than 4,000 acres and was just 25% controlled.
