Riding the heat wave

Mark Humphrey

The signs of a heat wave were palpable on Thursday afternoon, as

people walked the streets covering their heads with newspapers,

fanning themselves and ducking indoors to air-conditioned businesses

to avoid the scorching weather.

“I really hate the summer heat,” said Sumit Shivnani, a cashier at

Quizno’s in the Glendale Marketplace. “But what can I say? Summer is

summer.”

Thursday tied a record high for the date of July 21 at 96 degrees, but wasn’t even close to the month of July’s overall record of 106

degrees, set in 1988, according to Glendale-area climatologist Bob

Gregg. Gregg also said that the average temperature for the month is

actually half a degree below normal because of the cooler

temperatures earlier in the month.

“I would definitely expect that to change soon, though,” Gregg

said in reference to the current weather.

Glendale residents can expect the heat wave to continue on into

next week. The current four-day forecast, according to the National

Weather Service, projects highs in the mid-90’s and lows in the

mid-70’s.

Some have had to deal with the heat directly in order to their

jobs. Javier Diaz, a construction worker on Brand Boulevard, is one

of them.

“We don’t really have a choice; we have to make a living,” said

Diaz of performing his job in the heat. “It’s a matter of drinking

lots of water and keeping our bodies filled with liquid.”

The heat, which has been particularly humid, is a result of a

monsoonal system, National Weather Service officials and Gregg said.

Moisture is coming off the coast, due to easterly winds, and

saturating the air. This causes the air to seem much hotter than it

actually is, as sweat does not evaporate well in humid weather and

the evaporation of sweat is what cools the body off.

“The humidity is a little higher than normal, but it’s going to

get worse this weekend when the remnants of Hurricane Emily drift

in,” Gregg said.

In spite of the heat and humidity, people around Glendale are

doing what they can to make the best of the situation.

“I had a friend tell me that he actually went to see a movie the

other day just because it was so hot in his house,” said Antoinette

Lim, a cashier at the Mann Theater in the Glendale Marketplace.

Others have taken more traditional measures to cool off.

“A lot of the people who have come in the past few days have done

so for water and ice cream,” said Missy Belete of the Courtside

Mini-Mart on Brand Boulevard, where a sign outside advertises ice

cream.

For some, even in the heat, it’s business as usual.

“The heat doesn’t bother me as long as I can get fresh fruits and

vegetables,” said Glendale resident Linda McCoslin at the Farmer’s

Market on Brand Boulevard and Wilson Avenue. “Rain or shine, I’ll be

here.”