Heat expected to sear through Bay Area

Triple-digit temperatures are expected in inland Bay Area locations later this week, National Weather Service officials said.

Temperatures Thursday will reach the mid to upper 90s and go up a couple of degrees each day. The temperatures in Concord, Antioch and Cloverdale are forecast to reach 95 degrees Thursday. The high temperature in San Jose will be 90 degrees and 78 degrees is expected in Oakland, forecaster Steve Anderson said.

The temperature in Livermore is expected to reach 102 degrees Saturday, while in Concord the temperature is expected to reach 101 Saturday.

In Fairfield on Saturday, the temperature is forecast to reach 97 degrees, weather service officials said.

Solano County emergency officials said libraries will serve as cooling centers and no additional centers will open for the heat wave. All eight libraries in the county will be open regular hours.

Officials in Alameda and Contra Costa counties were not immediately available to say whether cooling centers will be open in those counties.

Temperatures along the coast over the next three days will be cooler. The forecast calls for highs of 70 degrees in San Francisco and 59 degrees in Half Moon Bay.

Nighttime temperatures will cool down rapidly to the low to mid 60s in most locations except for the Big Sur area, where nighttime and early morning temperatures are forecast to remain in the mid to upper 70s.

As a result of hot weather forecast throughout the state, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is urging employers to protect employees working outside from heat illness.

State law requires employers with outdoor workers to provide training on heat illness prevention, to provide enough fresh water so each employee can drink at least one quart per hour and encourage them to do so, and to provide access to shade and encourage employees to take a cool-down rest, according to Cal/OSHA.

The Bay Area’s first Spare the Air smog alert for the year has also been called for Thursday by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District as a result of the high temperatures and low winds, which will generate unhealthy ozone accumulation, or smog, in the area.

During a Spare the Air day, commuters are asked to avoid driving alone and instead take public transit, carpool, walk or bike to work.

Driving less is the most effective way of reducing smog, according to the air district. Smog can cause throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, asthma and worsen bronchitis and emphysema.

Smog can be particularly harmful for young children, seniors and people with respiratory and heart conditions.

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