If you’ve had trouble summoning the willpower to do anything
except sit poolside with a frosty beverage this week, you’re not
alone.
If you’ve had trouble summoning the willpower to do anything except sit poolside with a frosty beverage this week, you’re not alone.
Summer is at its sweltering peak in San Benito County and local residents are attempting to beat the heat any way they can.
Temperatures in Hollister have consistently hovered in the 90s for the past few days, but don’t get too excited about breaking any records just yet.
“We’re not expecting record-breaking temperatures,” said forecaster Diana Henderson with the National Weather Service. “Although it isn’t out of the realm of possibility.”
Weekend temperatures reached a high of 105 degrees in Gilroy and 97 degrees in Hollister Sunday.
“Although I’m sure it felt much higher than that,” said Henderson sympathetically.
Temperatures are higher this week than they were over the same period of time in 2005 – averaging in the mid-90s, whereas last year they stayed around 83 degrees.
“I wouldn’t call it global warming and start a mass panic,” Henderson said. “But you always have little discrepancies every year. That’s how we come up with our averages in the first place.”
Summer heat isn’t just an annoyance; it can prove dangerous for the ill-prepared. While Hazel Hawkins spokesperson Frankie Valent says hospital staff have not seen an increase in heat-related illnesses, she did stress the importance of heat safety. Even if you can’t avoid the sun altogether, she said, it’s best to avoid alcohol and caffeine and make sure your skin is protected from harmful UV rays.
“Basically you want to avoid any vigorous exercise between the hours of 11 and 4,” she said. “And try to do things later in the evening after it’s cooled off or early in the morning instead. But the most important thing is to use lots of sunblock and drink plenty of water.”
The heat has also kept the Hollister Fire Department busier than usual, said Captain Tim Schneider.
“It’s hot, it’s dry and it’s breezy,” he said. “Those are perfect conditions for a fire.”
Schneider encouraged residents to look for dangerous conditions around their own homes that could lead to a fire.
“Make sure you don’t have any tall, dry grasses in your yard, or dry wood stacked up against your house,” he said. “That might be fine during the winter, but with this weather something as small as a cigarette butt could start a fire.”
He also stressed the importance of staying hydrated.
“Little kids and older people especially need a lot of water,” he said. “It’s the same with us. We drink so much water all day it gets to be almost a nuisance, but when you’re out there in the middle of a grass fire and you don’t have enough water, you can really feel it. You become fatigued a lot more easily.”
The weather will cool down just enough to make life bearable again, promised Henderson, but probably not until Monday – so make sure your weekend plans include either a pool or A/C.
Fortunately for the pool-less, the City of Hollister has partnered with San Benito High School to offer a community pool over the summer while students aren’t using it. For $3 a person, you can swim to your heart’s content Monday through Friday. City recreation also offers swim lessons for kids throughout the summer – an activity that can keep them cool and could one day save their lives.
The San Justo reservoir is also open seven days a week from sunup to sundown, and while swimming is against the rules, fishing, boating and windsurfing are all good activities for hot summer days. Entrance fees are $5 per car, or $2 for those on bikes or who are being dropped off.
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
