15-Year Heat Record Broken in Ventura

As a heat wave spread to coastal communities, Ventura broke a 15-year record Tuesday with a high temperature of 85 degrees, the National Weather Service reported. The previous record for the date was 80 degrees in 1982.

Thermometers in Ojai hit 104 degrees, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks reached 100 degrees, and Camarillo recorded a high of 91 degrees.

The county’s coastal areas, usually a refuge from the heat, provided little relief. Point Mugu and Oxnard both reached 86 degrees.

“I had some guys doing SWAT training outdoors, and it was too hot,” said Cmdr. John Crombach of the Oxnard Police Department. “We finally took pity on them and brought them inside for some classroom work.”

More than 5,000 people went to the beach, hoping to catch a wave or a cool ocean breeze, said Steve White, a lifeguard supervisor at San Buenaventura State Beach.

“The surf’s up and there are lots of [riptides,]” White said. “We’ve had about a dozen rescues today, but nothing very serious.”

Ambulance operators reported an increase in medical calls, an expected side effect of the summer’s first heat wave. Air quality remained in the high end of the moderate range in the county’s inland areas, a potential problem for children and the elderly.

“People with respiratory problems or circulatory problems can have trouble when it’s hot and there’s air pollution,” said Kent Field of the county’s Air Pollution Control District. “This kind of heat, combined with physical activity, can set them off.”

Today’s forecast calls for more high temperatures and increased pollution levels, he said.