High temperatures continue to prevail in the Bay Area

LIVERMORE, Calif. – Another day of triple-digit temperatures Saturday left many Bay Area residents wondering: When will relief from the heat come?

In Livermore, the only thing hotter than the music at this year’s A Taste of Africa festival was the weather. Even as the sun sank lower in the sky, the mercury remained high — hovering around 100 degrees by the end of the first week of October.

“The heat is always harsh. But people aren’t letting the heat keep them indoors,” said Denisha DeLane, a vendor at the festival who owns Melanin Meanings, a stationery company.

Hundreds of participants enjoyed the tastes and sounds of the African continent, although mostly in shaded areas of Bankhead Plaza.

“I should get used to it, but I don’t. I’m not used to it at all. I’m originally from Kenya, so the weather is completely different,” said saleswoman Esther Kimani.

There has been little difference in the forecast over the last five or six days. The Bay Area experienced uncomfortably high temperatures.

Even San Francisco’s infamous cold has warmed to over 90 degrees.

“We see these really extreme fluctuations in high temperatures particularly in late summer and early fall,” said Dr. Grant Lipman, Santa Clara County emergency physician.

In the South Bay, advocates have been out all week helping the homeless by delivering water. Some say this action can mean the difference between life and death under current conditions.

“We need to spread the word and get things out there and try to save lives,” said Pastor Scott Wagers of CHAM Deliverance Ministry.

Cooling centers in several communities also operate on weekends. Some have extended opening hours to provide shelter even after the worst of the heat.

“We have a lot of seats. We have programs. Free WiFi. And this is a great place to escape the heat,” said Diane Roche, communications director for Santa Clara County Library Dist.

Late in the day in Livermore, the Rotary Club’s annual chili cookoff was coming to an end when the double heat finally forced some people to wave a white flag.

“We had lots of water to stay hydrated. Make sure everyone had a pop-up tent. We tried to bring the people who needed to be in the shadows into the shadows. And I think living here in Livermore, you get used to it.” “If you go out and do something, it’s going to be warm,” said Rotary Club President Sherri Simoni.

Jesse Gary is a reporter in the station’s South Bay bureau. Follow him on Instagram, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU