High heat continues sizzling the Bay Area

LIVERMORE, Calif. - Another day of triple-digit temperatures on Saturday had many Bay Area residents wondering: when will relief from the heat arrive?

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 – it was about 100 degrees, to end the first week of October.

"The heat is always hard. But people don’t let the heat keep them in the house," said Denisha DeLane, a vendor at the festival who owns Melanin Meanings, a stationary company.

Hundreds of attendees enjoyed the tastes and sounds of the African continent, although they did so mostly in shaded areas of Bankhead Plaza.

"I’m supposed to get used to this, but I’m not. I am not used to this at all. I’m originally from Kenya, so the weather’s totally different," said vendor Esther Kimani.

There’s been little difference in the forecast for the past five or six days. Uncomfortably high temps have blanketed the Bay Area. 

Even San Francisco’s infamous chilly touch has warmed to above 90 degrees.

"We’re seeing these swings of really extreme swings of high temperatures especially late in the summer, early autumn," said Santa Clara County emergency physician Dr. Grant Lipman.

In the South Bay, advocates have been out all week aiding the unhoused by delivering water. Some say, in current conditions, this action can make the difference between life and death.

"We gotta get the word out and get the stuff out there and try to save lives," said Pastor Scott Wagers of CHAM Deliverance Ministry.

Cooling centers in multiple municipalities continue operating over the weekend. Some have extended hours to provide shelter even after the worst of the heat has passed.

"We have lots of places to sit. We have programs. Free WiFi. And this is a great place to come and escape the heat," said Diane Roche, communications director for the Santa Clara County Library Dist.

Late in the day in Livermore, the annual Rotary Club chili cookoff came to a close, as the double dose of heat finally forced some folks to wave a white flag.

"We had lots of water to stay hydrated. Make sure everybody had a pop-up tent. We tried to put the folks that needed to be in the shade in the shade. And I think when you live here in Livermore you get used to it. If you’re gonna go out and do something, it’s gonna be warm," said Rotary Club president Sherri Simoni.

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