Heat. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
Stay out of direct sunlight when temperatures are high. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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The National Weather Service is calling for high temperatures this week for the Central Coast and Bay Area, with low to high 90s across the interior and 80s along the coastline.

A heat advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Friday. The Bay Area and Central Coast are expected to be affected by unusually high temperatures.

Monday, Jan. 16, Clear, High 90°F

Tuesday, Jan. 17, Clear, High 95°F

Wednesday, Jan. 18, Clear and Hot, High 96°F

Thursday, Jan. 19, Clear and Hot, High 96°F

Friday night, Jan. 20, Clear and Hot, High 97°F

Saturday, Jan. 21, Clear, High 91°F

This advice is written for children and/or seniors but pets also need special consideration. Safety advice provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine website:

  • Make sure your child dresses in light colored, lightweight, tightly-woven, loose-fitting clothing on hot days.
  • Schedule vigorous activity and sports for cooler times of the day. Take rest periods in shady or cool areas.
  • Makes sure your child is protected from the sun and wears a hat and sunglasses, and uses an umbrella. Use a sunscreen that is at least SPF (sun protection factor) 15.
  • Increase time spent outdoors gradually to get your child’s body used to the heat.
  • Teach children to take frequent drink breaks and “wet down” or mist themselves with a spray bottle to avoid becoming overheated.
  • Try to spend as much time indoors as possible on very hot and humid days.
  • Teach your child to warm-up and cool-down before and after exercising.
  • If your child has a medical condition or is taking medicine, consult his or her doctor for further advice for preventing heat-related illnesses.

Always drink lots of liquids when you are going outside and temperatures are high.

When activated by the County Office of Emergency Services (temps over 100 degrees), the following locations typically serve as cooling centers:

  • San Benito County Free Library: Located at 470 Fifth Street, Hollister. Historical activation hours are often 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
  • Veterans Memorial Building: Located at 649 San Benito Street, Hollister. This is often the primary center for the city.
  • San Juan Bautista Library: Located at 801 Second Street, San Juan Bautista. Typical activation hours match the Hollister library.

There are recreational cooling centers around Hollister, like Mc Carthy Park, located at 230 McCarthy Street, features a 90-gallon water tower and an interactive splash pad.

Hollister High School’s Baler Aquatic Center is open to the public, evenings, Feb. through May from 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and evenings, June through August: 3:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

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I am a lifetime resident of Hollister and was born in San Jose. I have a passion for photography and reporting in San Benito County. Since 2019, I have been working for a successful non-profit, Growing...