This September, an extreme heat wave has brought the highest temperatures of the year to Los Angeles and the surrounding area. Angelenos are used to high temperatures over the summer, yet this heat wave is testing our resolve with the record-breaking heat leading to Red Flag fire warnings and heat-related health alerts. Luckily, in areas of Pasadena and especially around Mayfield, we have established tree canopies which help to lower the local temperature by providing shade from the blistering sun.

However, in much of LA, there are little or no tree canopies to offer relief to residents and wildlife. For those without access to shade or air conditioning, these consistently high temperatures can be life threatening. The high temperatures of 100 to 118 degrees that we’ve been experiencing, can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke. Not only that, but rolling power outages due to equipment failures caused by the extreme heat, as well as outages due to pressure on the electrical grid have been occurring across Southern California. Noticeably, many traffic lights in Pasadena and even our own Hayden building were out following the spike in power usage. This led the Pasadena City to institute rolling outages due to the excessive heat.

A week of unrelenting heat such as this is made even more difficult as overnight temperatures remain high, breaking more records across the count, offering little reprieve. But we can all be thankful that at Mayfield we have air conditioned classrooms and the great benefits afforded by the surrounding tree canopy to make the days of the heat-wave more pleasant!

Please remember

– Stay cool

– Stay hydrated

– Don’t walk your dogs in the middle of the day

– Wear sunscreen

– Exercise early morning or early evening