Los Angeles is bracing for some of the hottest weather of the summer this week, with temperatures in parts of the city approaching 100 degrees and some areas of Southern California climbing into the triple digits.
Wednesday and Thursday are expected to bring the most intense heat, with extreme temperatures lingering through Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters say downtown LA could come close to or break daily temperature records.
The city has opened dedicated cooling centers, while libraries and recreation centers are also available for people looking to escape the heat. Community groups in Koreatown are increasing water outreach to unhoused residents, who advocates say have few places to get out of the sun.
Cooling centers
The city is opening nine cooling centers with extended hours, and pets are welcome. For residents in Koreatown, Pico Union and Westlake, nearby options include:
- Lafayette Multipurpose Community Center
625 S. Lafayette Park Place
Phone: 213-384-0562
Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Residents and their pets can also cool off at Recreation and Parks facilities during their regular operating hours:
- Shatto Recreation Center
3191 W. 4th St.
Phone: 213-386-8877
Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday and holidays: Closed
- Normandie Recreation Center
550 S. Normandie Ave.
Phone: 323-737-1181
Monday – Friday: 11 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Saturday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
- Seoul International Park
3250 San Marino St.
Phone: 213-383-7549
Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Saturday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: Closed
Dogs must be on a leash and all pets must be accompanied by their owners. Kennels can be provided upon request.
Los Angeles Public Library branches also offer free, air-conditioned spaces to escape the heat during regular operating hours. Nearby locations include:
- Pico Union Branch Library
1030 S. Alvarado St.
213-368-7545
- Pio Pico Koreatown Branch Library
694 S. Oxford Ave.
213-368-7647
- Felipe de Neve Branch Library
2820 W. 6th St.
213-384-7676
- Wilshire Branch Library
149 N. Saint Andrews Place
323-957-4550
Library hours vary, so residents should check current hours before heading out.
The YMCA will also open cooling centers across the region, including two in Koreatown, according to YMCA spokesperson Christina Bragg. People can cool off inside the air-conditioned facilities and refill reusable water bottles, while some locations may also have bottled water available.
- Koreatown YMCA Center for Community Well-Being
433 S. Vermont Ave.
(213) 401-1946 - Anderson Munger Family YMCA
4301 W. 3rd St.
(213) 427-9622
The weather forecast
LA could come close to — or break — several temperature records as the heat continues through Friday, according to Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
Wofford said high pressure combined with weaker onshore flow from the ocean is helping drive temperatures up.
The ocean itself is also unusually warm, which Wofford said is having a greater effect on nighttime temperatures.
“Our ocean is pretty warm right now, about 5 to 7 degrees above normal around this time, which mainly influences the overnight temperatures,” he said.
Some relief could arrive toward the end of the week.
“We might see a bit of cooling on Friday and over the weekend and by early next week, we should be pretty close to normal temperatures,” Wofford said.
Free water and other resources
Residents can find hydration stations throughout the city, where they can drink water and refill reusable bottles.
Hydration stations are available at Lafayette Park and MacArthur Park in Westlake, Normandie Recreation Center in Pico Union and the Pio Pico Koreatown Branch Library.
The Cool Spots LA interactive map can help residents find additional hydration stations and places to cool off in their neighborhoods.
People can also sign up for NotifyLA for emergency alerts, including warnings about extreme weather.
Heat safety tips are also available in multiple languages, including Spanish, Armenian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
Unhoused residents face the heat with little protection
For people living outside, escaping the heat can be much more difficult.
Ktown for All, a volunteer-led group that regularly conducts outreach to unhoused residents in Koreatown, is distributing cold water to their community.
“As part of our regular outreach, we always distribute water, but now we are trying to distribute frozen water,” Sherin Varghese, an organizer with Ktown for All, said.
Varghese said the group is seeing people endure the heat without tents, tarps and other structures that could otherwise provide shade.
“One of the biggest things we’ve been seeing — because there’s been an aggressive push to get rid of homelessness — is that people have lost things like tents and tarps and makeshift structures that would’ve provided some protection,” Varghese said. “We’ve been seeing people without access to any shades or protection from the sun. People are sitting on hot concrete, exposed directly to the sun with no sort of regular access to water.”
Varghese said the effects of the heat extend beyond people living on the streets. She also criticized the city’s Inside Safe program, which moves people from encampments into interim housing.
“We also know and heard that some people in Inside Safe don’t have access to air conditioning, so now we’re even hearing from sheltered folks as well of how bad this is,” Varghese said.
Ktown for All will continue its regular Saturday outreach this week, with volunteers distributing frozen water. While the group has no midweek distribution scheduled, Varghese said some volunteers are making their own drop-offs.
Tam Phan of No Harm KTLA, a volunteer group that does trash pickups in Koreatown twice a month, said volunteers are being encouraged to join Ktown for All’s Saturday outreach. Volunteers will help with water and menstrual product drop-offs.
Phan said she has noticed people living in encampments looking increasingly exhausted as the sun continues to beat down.
“The bigger water bottles left out by volunteer groups look used up or dry,” she said.
She has also noticed more visible signs of dehydration.
“Stepping outside is unbearable for me so I could only imagine what they are going through without adequate access to water or a place for air conditioning,” she said.
Free events
A free water slide event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Shatto Park, organized by Los Angeles City Councilmember Heather Hutt’s office.
The event is free and open to everyone, and a light lunch will be served to attendees.
City officials are urging residents to limit strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest hours, drink water regularly and check on neighbors, family members and others who may be particularly vulnerable.
Extreme heat can be especially dangerous for children, older adults, pets, people who work outside and people with certain health conditions.
