FAIR FRIES

Tustin resident Russ Sunders sat with friends at a picnic table Wednesday near the food booths at the Orange County Fair trying to beat the afternoon heat with the help of frozen treats.

“We thought the cold stuff would be enough, but it started melting so fast we had to come sit down,” Sunders said.

Temperatures Wednesday reached 85 degrees in Costa Mesa and 76 degrees in Newport Beach, so it’s no wonder people were doing anything they could think of to stay cool. For coastal as well as inland residents, that often means a trip to the beach.

Lifeguard Officer John Moore can attest to the popularity of the sand and surf.

He said that current beach crowds were near 65,000 Wednesday. With intense heat expected for the weekend, Saturday and Sunday could produce crowds of 80,000 to 90,000, he said.

Temperatures are expected to rise or simply remain high over the coming weekend, with Saturday possibly topping 85 degrees in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, according to National Weather Service forecaster Stan Wasowski.

“Wow,” Wasowski said, taking a close look at recent weather statistics for the Newport-Mesa area. “The entire month of June was above normal for John Wayne Airport. And the entire month of July is, too.”

Whether at the fair or at the beach, there are important things for people to do in order to not get overwhelmed by the heat.

Lifeguard Officer Moore recommended that people at all times “stay hydrated, stay in the shade if possible and don’t overexert themselves.”