Merced temperatures reaching triple digits this week

Summer’s official start is still weeks away, but temperatures are heating up, which means residents should be prepared for the health and environmental risks that come along with triple-digit thermometer readings.

High temperatures are expected to reach 101 on Wednesday and Thursday, according to Bill Peterson, hydrometeorological technician for the National Weather Service. It will heat up slightly, reaching 103 on Friday and 104 on Saturday, he said. Winds are expected to be light and variable for the week, between 5 mph and 10 mph.

After Saturday, temperatures are expected to cool, dropping to 99 degrees on Sunday and 94 degrees on Monday.

Higher temperatures lead to higher ozone pollution in the valley, said Heather Heinks, outreach communication manager for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District.

“We are entering ozone season,” Heinks said.

Ozone pollution is the result of chemical reactions from sources, such as gasoline, that can bake in the hot sun and become a pollutant people breathe in. Heinks said people with respiratory issues have the potential to see symptoms worsen due to the higher levels of pollutants.

Shortness of breath and irritation in the throat are some symptoms that can occur as a result of more ozone pollution. Heinks said the No. 1 thing the Pollution Control District encourages people in the valley to do is keep track of the ozone pollution levels in the air at http://www.valleyair.org/.

“Increase in ozone with heat comes with high pressure that brings heat and traps anything it creates,” Heinks said.

The Merced City School District receives a daily report from the Pollution Control District so it can keep track of the pollution. On the days the air is measured to be unhealthy for people, recess and outdoor activities are moved inside at elementary and middle schools.

“On days with excessive heat, the schools will limit outside activity,” said Sara Sandrik, public information officer for the Merced City School District.

Sandrik said kids also are reminded to stay hydrated, and every middle school has hydration stations where students can refill personal water bottles.

Keeping up with ozone pollution levels will tell people when they should try to stay inside. The air usually is worst during the hottest periods of the day, 2 through around 6 p.m, Heinks said.

“We expect to see ozone levels creeping up in the afternoons this week,” Heinks said.

The hottest period of the day is also when there is a higher chance of a fire spreading, said Billy Alcorn, deputy chief of the Merced Fire Department. Afternoon temperatures create a higher risk of fire sparking or spreading because the humidity is so low and the vegetation is more dry.

“The hotter weather there is, the dryer the land and vegetation get,” Alcorn said.

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection recommends that property owners clear all vegetation 100 feet from structures, Merced County Fire Department Capt. Jeff Cole said.

Residents should be aware of all the dead, dry trees and plants around their yards and any empty houses that have dying plants as well, Cole said.

“It’s like a Roman candle when you have a dead tree hanging there with dead leaves,” Cole said.

On Tuesday, the fire department held a hands-on training event in a vacant lot covered in dry vegetation along Yosemite Avenue and El Redondo Drive.

Residents who need help in clearing vegetation or wish to report dry vegetation behind their neighborhoods can call the fire department at 209-385-6891.

“The biggest thing for us is we help out the property owner by taking care of all his weeds and we get live training, which is invaluable,” Alcorn said.

This story was originally published May 31, 2016 at 6:39 PM with the headline "Merced temperatures reaching triple digits this week."