SAN DIEGO — It’s Labor Day weekend and San Diego Lifeguards are expecting hundreds of thousands of people to flock to the beaches because of the scorching heat wave.
Their main message to visitors this holiday weekend, is to never swim in an unguarded area, especially since rip currents are frequent.
Lifeguard Lonnie Stephens says they’re ready for the crowds and are fully staffed for both Mission beach and Bay. They started patrolling at 8 a.m. on Friday, and they already have made rescues.
The most important thing is to always check in with lifeguards because they will tell you where the safest places to swim.
Mission Bay will have extra boating safety officers for boating education and enforcement to help manage the crowded weekend.
A reminder for boaters, you need a CA boater card to drive and make sure you are always wearing a personal floatation device and never boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Lifeguard Stephens says that’s when traumatic accidents happen on Mission Bay.
If you are planning on coming to the beach this weekend, start preparing now. Stay hydrated and plan to wear long loose-fitting clothing and bring shade.
Heat and sun are a major stressor. When you are out in the sun all day, we get fatigued, then go out and swim to cool down. Our bodies are even more tired out in the water, so just be aware.
Not mention, it’s important to be aware of your surroundings and look out for stingrays.
Listen for those preventative warnings and do the string ray shuffle. Don’t pick up your feet when you walk, rather shuffle your toes under the sand. If you get stung, flag down a lifeguard and they will give you a bucket of hot water. That’s the only remedy that helps.
Temperatures will be more manageable at the beaches during the extra- hot spell, but will still climb into the upper 80s. Overnight lows will not offer much relief, staying in the 70s and even in the low 80s in some of the hotter areas.
Meanwhile, more Flex Alerts are anticipated over the weekend, particularly on Sunday and Monday, which are forecast to have the highest electricity demand.
"With excessive heat in the forecast across much of the state and Western U.S., the grid operator is expecting high electricity demand, primarily from air conditioning use, and is calling for voluntary conservation steps to help balance supply and demand," according to Cal-ISO.
During the alerts, residents are urged to take power-saving steps such as:
- setting thermostats to 78 degrees or higher;
- avoiding use of major appliances;
- turning off unnecessary lights; and
- avoid charging electric vehicles.
Residents are also advised to pre-cool their homes as much as possible, and close blinds and drapes to keep interiors cool.
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