On the first day of October, San Francisco experiences an extreme heatwave. The temperatures are so high that city officials have issued a heat advisory.
“I heard that it is the hottest October in 28 years in San Francisco, which is pretty surprising to me because the weather hasn’t felt too extreme,” sophomore Annette Moore said. “I’ve looked at the weather and to me it doesn’t look too bad, but it is fairly hot for San Francisco,”
Due to global warming, heat waves have become more frequent and intense. Heat waves occur when high-pressure air settles upward and pushes hot air in the form of a huge heat bubble down towards the ground, according to Direct Energy. They have a tendency to concentrate in one region because their heat domes don’t allow cool air to pass through.
“The heat is nothing compared to Maine where I grew up,” college counselor Tom Esponnette said. “I like that San Francisco summers are actually in October,”
In response to the rising temperatures, community leaders have modified the dress code to accommodate the weather and create a more comfortable environment for students. Students have been permitted to wear khaki shorts or the uniform skirt without tights to stay cool.
“I have enjoyed the warmer weather, although it is really hot,” junior Elizabeth Fox said. “I have been able to stay pretty cool, because I was wearing a skirt, along with most of the class,”
Heatwaves, especially paired with high humidity, can be very uncomfortable and dangerous. Some ways to stay safe during a heat wave include drinking water, limiting strenuous outdoor activity, and minimizing direct exposure to the sun, according to the National Weather Service.
“I enjoy the heat at this time of year,” Moore said. “I don’t think it’s too bad in comparison to past Octobers.”
