It Was Hot Enough to Melt a Record
The San Fernando Valley turned into a suburban Death Valley on Saturday as the mercury hit a record 119 in Woodland Hills, causing sweaty refugees to hug iced lattes, plop down on tile floors and, in at least one case, plead with a salesman to part with his last remaining portable air conditioner, a floor model.
"Today I realized I can't function with just a fan," said Susan Mitnik, who lives in a Topanga Canyon cottage. "It feels like everything is radiating heat. My head begins to pound."
Woodland Hills is a heat-hardy community, typically among the hottest locations in Los Angeles County. But the over-the-top temperature on this day sucked the life from normal Saturday activities -- traffic was light, sidewalks were virtually empty -- and the brave few who ventured out seemed to move in slow-motion, as if underwater.
Among the unfortunate who lacked air conditioning at home, many took advantage of climate-controlled restaurants, malls and movie theaters. Then there was Mitnik, who begged for the portable air conditioner -- a $399.99 floor sample -- at the Woodland Hills Best Buy.
Alas, the salesman would not relent.
How hot was it? According to the National Weather Service, it was the hottest day in Woodland Hills since record-keeping began in 1949 -- 3 degrees above the former record, set in August 1985.
It was hotter in Woodland Hills than previously recorded in Los Angeles County for a July 22 and 5 degrees hotter than ever recorded in the desert city of Lancaster.
Elsewhere in the region, it wasn't exactly a day for a picnic. El Cajon and Escondido smashed through their previous mutual records of 109, the former hitting 113 and the latter 112. The San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park hit 114, 2 degrees higher than its previous all time-record.
In other scattered locations, records were broken for the date: Burbank hit 112, 12 degrees above the previous record set July 22, 1980, and only 1 degree below the all-time high of 113, the National Weather Service said. Laguna Beach hit 94, and in downtown Los Angeles, the mercury climbed to 101.
"It's hotter here than in the Philippines," declared Lota Figueroa, a matron of honor, as she departed a downtown wedding chapel, referring to her native home.
She fretted over her makeup and hair. "It's not going to stay. It's going to melt."
Just after noon, Ins Lee, a 58-year-old shopkeeper, abandoned a trip to the post office, trying to hide in the shade of a traffic signal.
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