By Mary O’KEEFE

It has been hot across the country but California has been incredibly lucky the last few weeks with below normal temperatures; however, that is changing for us … a little. 

I was watching the coverage of all of the Fourth of July events across the nation and many reporters, and those they were speaking to, referenced the heat. It was so hot and humid that  parades were canceled and there was talk about some of the Fourth of July fireworks being canceled because of the extremely hot weather. The news anchors who were in Washington, D.C. and New York would then turn the microphone over to the reporters in San Diego and Los Angeles and have to hear how there’s a “light breeze and it was in the high 70s low 80s. It’s very comfortable.” At one point one of the anchors said, “Okay, okay – I don’t want to hear it anymore.” 

We were lucky; however, it appears that temperatures are now rising and we’re heading full-bore into summer.

We, in California, are faring better than people in Europe where a tremendous heat wave has been covering several counties … and there does not seem to be a lot of relief in sight. 

“The French government recorded more than 2,000 deaths [due to heat] during a particularly scorching week at the end of June – likely still an underestimate, according to officials,” reads an article titled “Extreme Temperatures Once Again Prove Deadly in Europe and U.S.” published in Inside Climate News on July 7.

According to the report healthcare facilities are trying to keep up with patients who need help due to heat stress. 

“We thought we were ready. We were not actually,” Cédric Lussiez, the director of the Paris-Saclay Hospital, told the news outlet Inside Climate News. “The hospital was working on a 24 hours a day basis because we had to find new solutions in a very short delay.” 

In a report from Reuters, Portugal and southern Spain are expected to see temperatures of 109 degrees Fahrenheit. 

“Experts have said the June 20-28 heat wave was the most severe recorded in Europe, ‌causing disruption to power generation, damaging infrastructure and overwhelming healthcare systems,” according to Reuters. 

France, the Netherlands and Belgium recorded 3,700 deaths due to heat issues and authorities are warning that number could rise. 

Record high temperatures were felt across Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic, according to reports. 

Many European countries are not used to these high temperatures and their towns are not built to deal with increased heat. 

“Europe is the fastest-warming continent, warming more than twice as fast as the global average,” according to Copernicus, Europe’s eyes on Earth. (Copernicus is the Earth observation component of the European Union’s Space program, looking at our planet and its environment to benefit all European citizens. It offers information services that draw from satellite Earth Observation and in-situ [non-space] data.)

Not all areas are seeing the same increase however. 

“The fastest warming is observed in northern high latitudes,

particularly the Arctic, as well as in central and eastern Europe

and the Middle East. Land areas are warming faster than the ocean,” according to Copernicus. “The fastest warming region on Earth is the Arctic.”

According to reports there were about 25 people who died over the Fourth of July holiday.  

About 156 million people in eastern two-thirds of the nation were under heat alerts issued by the National Weather Service.

I, of course, always think of the “The Midnight Sun” a “Twilight Zone” episode. In the episode, the Earth’s orbit changes and moves closer to the sun causing heat to build up. In that episode people were just trying to survive as society collapses around them. Hearing of the deaths of friends and neighbors is sad, but became normal because it is was so common. 

Heatwaves are something we will have to get used to as well. 

“Extreme heat – periods of unusually high temperatures that threaten human health, ecosystems and infrastructure – is becoming more frequent and intense as the climate warms. Communities across the United States are already experiencing longer heat seasons, more dangerous heat index days and greater risks to vulnerable populations,” according to Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. 

The climate is warming — 2024 was the hottest year on record with temperatures more than 1.5 degrees C above the 1850-1900 average. The past 10 years, from 2015 to 2024, were the hottest on record globally. 

At the end of “The Midnight Sun” the audience finds that Norma, the lead character (played by Lois Nettleton), had been dreaming all along – dreaming of high heat because the Earth is actually freezing. So in our future as the planet warms we may dream of colder days.

Speaking of heat … the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory thru July 10. 

“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors. Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Take action when you see symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke,” advises the NWS. 

Find cooling centers by calling 211 or visiting 211la.org/cooling-centers-2025.

Today and tomorrow we’ll see our highest temperatures – in the low 90s – and there will be a slight cooling trend over the weekend with temps in the high-to-mid 80s; but then we’ll go back up for next week, according to NOAA.

And it won’t be a dry heat; there is some humidity expected next week as well. 

The next two days will be about five degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal and then next week temperatures will be about 10 degrees over normal, in the upper 90s. 

And that’s not all – with this heat we will be experiencing possible thunderstorms. 

Our natural air conditioner, the Pacific Ocean, will not be helping us much as the moisture/humidity pushes up from Mexico and the Gulf of California and the weather stays hot, according to NOAA. 

It is expected another heat advisory will be announced for next week.