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With temperatures expected to reach more than 90 degrees in the Bay Area this week, residents are encouraged to stay cool and to reduce water and energy usage in an effort to conserve resources considered precious during times of extreme heat, officials said Tuesday.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures are expected to rise to the mid 90s in the South Bay Wednesday through Friday and cool off by the weekend.

The North Bay is expected to be slightly cooler, with temperatures reaching the high 80s inland and the low 80s closer to the ocean, said Brian Tentinger, a meteorologist for the weather service.

Tentinger said temperatures are anticipated to reach the mid 80s in the East Bay this week, although heat will decrease by the weekend to the high 70s.

The weather service is advising residents to drink plenty of water, avoid alcoholic beverages and caffeine, use cool compresses and utilize air-conditioned spaces, weather forecaster Diana Henderson said.

Bay Area counties where heat can be deemed extreme have set aside cooling centers for consistent summer use, where senior citizens, children, people with chronic health problems or anyone affected by the heat may relax in air-conditioned centers.

As temperatures rise, Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is asking customers to conserve energy by setting thermostats to 78 degrees, using fans instead of air-conditioning to cool down indoor spaces and waiting until after 7 p.m. to use bigger appliances such as dishwashers, a spokesman for the San Francisco-based company said.

Spokesman Joe Molica added that PG&E prepares for the heat by generating 15 percent more energy than is predicted in case of emergency situations.

No rolling blackouts are expected in the Bay Area, however, Molica said.

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8 Comments

  2. Clear evidence that we are destroying the planet with our overcomsumptive lifestyles.

    The paltry Palo Alto effort (in the form of an Environmental Commissioner) to give lip-service to what Al Gore rightly calls the greatest crisis ever faced by humankind, is shown as the inadequate sop to political expediency it is.

    It is time for mandatory curbs on energy consumption in Palo Alto. This includes banning operation of air conditioners when the temperature is less than 100 degrees, high taxes on more than one vehicle per household, green building standards retroactively applied, doubling of energy rates by the PA Utility Dept, mandatory thermostat controls with spot inspections in all Palo Alto buildings and residences, and taxes on airline tickets sold to Palo Alto residents.

    If we believe Global Warming is a crisis, we must act like it is. Stop Bush’s destruction of the environment.

  5. With all this spare the air hullaballoo for a good laugh go over to Stanford shopping center, the doors to the stores will be wide open, and the air conditioning on HIGH, with inside temperature at a nice 68 degrees. Reminds one of Las Vegas. What a joke!

  6. GreenGlass: If Bush is destroying the environment, why not just impose the taxes and restrictions on him, and leave us alone.

    What a Joke: I seem to remember this issue being discussed on this forum before, and there were people that claimed that due to the way the HVAC systems are set up there, leaving the doors open didn’t make any difference.

  8. We are asked to sacrifice comfort, even at risk to our health and business, because the idiots we put in charge refuse to make accomodations for growth, possibly because they believe that constipation is a legitimate way to stop growth. We enjoy the preparations of our predecessors that we deny to our successors.
    [betcha I know what the response will be]

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