The calendar may show we are about to begin the last month of meteorological fall. But it felt more like summer this week across Southern California.
According to Newsweek, heat alerts were issued for several million people as temperatures soared to record levels.
More than 18 million people in California were under a heat advisory for Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Los Angeles hit a record-breaking high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit both days. Tuesday's new Oct. 29 daily temperature record for L.A. surpassed the old record of 94 F set in 1931, as reported by the National Weather Service Los Angeles and Newsweek.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's data tools showed that several other daily temperature records were broken on Wednesday in California. They included 93 on Santa Cruz Island, 95 in Bell Canyon, and 96 in Valley Center.
The dangerous combination of unseasonable heat, dry air, and gusty winds created critical fire weather conditions near LA during the middle of the week.
"If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for extreme fire behavior, rapid fire growth, and long range spotting, which could threaten life and property," read a red flag warning issued by the Los Angeles National Weather Service office, as reported by Newsweek.
Our warming world is not only fueling dangerous heat; it is also supercharging extreme weather events like drought and wildfires.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor report revealed that just over 58% of the West was experiencing at least moderate drought conditions. Almost a third of California is enduring at least a moderate drought. Those drought conditions are found in the southern half of the state.
"The wildfire season has lengthened in many areas due to factors including warmer springs, longer summer dry seasons, and drier soils and vegetation," the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has stated. "Similarly, climate change threatens to increase the frequency, extent, and severity of fires through increased temperatures and drought."
According to InciWeb, several active wildfires are burning in California as of Friday.
One of the biggest fires is located about 140 miles northwest of LA. The Gifford Fire was first reported at the beginning of August. The megafire has charred over 131,000 acres and is now 97% contained.
So far this year, there have been 7,439 wildfires in California. They've killed at least 31 people, destroyed over 16,000 structures, and burned more than half a million acres.
California's first Santa Ana wind event of the season exacerbated the wildfire situation this week. "In southern California, a weather condition in which strong, hot, dust-bearing winds descend to the Pacific Coast around Los Angeles from inland desert regions" is how the National Weather Service describes Santa Ana winds.
The state faces elevated fire danger through the end of this year.
"Above-normal large fire potential is forecast through December due to the combination of well-above-normal temperatures, well-below-normal precipitation, and normal-to-above-normal Santa Ana wind activity," according to the seasonal outlook issued by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.