Mike Painter checks the weather every morning before he goes to work.
The owner of The Hob Nob on North Main Street, Painter relies of the cooperation of Mother Nature to keep his business moving along – affected equally by the rain in the winter months that keeps people away as much as the heat keeps them indoors during the scorching summer.
And with temperatures expected to surpass the century mark for the next eight days, Painter is bracing for a customer flow that has become all too familiar to him over the last two months – a massive rush around lunch time and only a trickle of die-hard customers for the rest of the day.
“It’s definitely something that affects when people want to come down,” said Painter – who relies on the building’s small air conditioning unit and fans to cool down the 300 square-foot building enough to counter the heat from the steamers and the machinery necessary to run a business of its kind. “But you do what you can do and hope for the best.”
And Painter isn’t alone in hoping that things cool down soon.
On Friday, Sammy Moreno dropped by Library Park with his daughter when he saw that the City of Manteca had turned the water play feature back on after a prolonged closure due to the drought.
Giving her a chance to cool off, he said, was the chief mission, although he wouldn’t mind a few days of bearable temperatures at his warehouse job in Speckels Park where he said workers have to guzzle water in order to stay hydrated and prevent being overcome by the heat.
“You’ve got to find something to do when it gets this hot and we don’t have a pool or a yard at my house so she really enjoys this,” Moreno said. “Other than that, I just do the same thing that we do at work which is just drinks lots of water and do what you can to cool off during the day.
“It’s just nice to have something like this here in town where she can go and enjoy herself.”
But the hot weather has the opportunity to become much more than simply annoying.
As of Friday afternoon, the National Weather Service had an Excessive Heat Warning in effect for Northern San Joaquin County this is expected to remain in place until Aug. 3. Temperatures in the north state may reach as high as 112 degrees during this wave, setting the stage for heat stroke to become an issue for local hospitals and clinics.
According to Accuweather, temperatures in Manteca could reach as high as 106 degrees and triple-digit temperatures are expected though Aug. 5 – one day longer than the 8-day stretch in June when 109 degree temperatures were recorded.
The San Joaquin County Department of Public Health has issued suggest guidelines for handling the heat and preventing heat-related illnesses in response to the hot weather. Those suggestions include:
uStaying in an air-conditioned building if possible, and if not visiting friends or family members that may have air conditioning, or public places like shopping malls, community centers or libraries.
uLimiting outdoor activity, especially during the hottest part of the day, and avoiding direct sunlight.
uWearing loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and wearing sunscreen. Creating shade by using an umbrella or a wide-brimmed, breathable hat is also advised.
uTaking cool showers or baths or using moist cloths to lower body temperature.
uUsing a spray bottle as a refreshing mister, and using fans to supplement air conditioning to keep indoor temperatures cool.
There is also an advisement in place warning people not to leave their children unattended inside of a vehicle, which can have deadly effects – the car serving as a mobile oven that attracts heat and can lead to heat-related illnesses very quickly.
Currently, based off of information from the National Weather Service, temperatures aren’t expected to hit 104 degrees next week, so according to Manteca Fire Chief Kyle Shipherd there are no formal plans to open the Manteca Senior Center as a community cooling center. That may change if the information provided – which Shipherd acknowledged can be different than forecasts that people get on popular apps found on their cellular device – does meet the city’s criteria. If that happens, the Manteca Senior Center will be open to the community from 1 to 9 p.m., although those hours can change if the service – which is staffed by the Community Emergency Response Team – is not being utilized.