June 06, 2003
HOLY CRAP, IT'S HOT!
Yesterday was the hottest June 5 on record since 1958, apparently. Today is easily the hottest June 6 on record since (get ready for it) 1948. While the official high so far today is 97 (which is what it currently reads at the airport), minutes ago at SE 39th and Hawthorne, the Washington Mutual display read 99 degrees.
All of this, naturally enough, brings with it various concerns:
The Portland area Friday was also seeing it?s first "clean air action day," because smog was expected to build up in the valleys under the high pressure system. A similar alert was also issued for Saturday.
That means breathing will be more difficult for people who suffer fromasthma. The elderly and children are especially susceptible to the problems.
The Department of Environmental Quality is urging residents of Metro Portland and Southwest Washington to take precautions, if possible. That includes driving less, biking to work, or carpooling. Folks are also asked to wait until the weather cools off to use gas-powered equipment such as lawn mowers.
Using natural gas or propane barbeques instead of charcoal also helps. And people are asked to avoid using products that create fumes -- like hair spray, air fresheners and oil-based paints.
And, of course, the heat wave is increasing the fire danger, leading to declarations of an early start of fire season in various parts of the state.
For those so inclined, the DEQ's alert is available online, as is a guide to "clear air action days" which includes more details on how to handle the heat and its effects.