Heat wave: The Bay Area is experiencing triple-digit and record high temperatures

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The Bay Area will experience excessive and potentially dangerous heat across the region on Tuesday. Temperatures tend to be 20 to 25 degrees above average – a rare sight for the first day of October.

According to the National Weather Service, an excessive heat warning is in effect across much of the Bay Area through Wednesday evening, as temperatures could reach 110 degrees in some inland locations and as high as 96 degrees in downtown San Francisco.

On Tuesday, early afternoon temperatures were in the triple digits in places like Olema Valley in Marin County, which reached 104 degrees as of 1 p.m. and 100 degrees in Livermore

TIMELINE: Record highs are expected here as the Bay Area heat wave peaks

The hot weather will continue Wednesday and will be accompanied by some offshore winds at speeds of 20 to 30 mph, prompting the weather service to issue a red flag warning for parts of Monterey County from 3 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Thursday inland and other nearby regions.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District also issued a “spare the air” warning for Wednesday, the third day in a row, as health-damaging levels of smog are expected in the region.

Here's how residents cope with the autumn heat.

San Francisco's hottest day since 2022

San Francisco residents enjoyed the sun and tried to beat the heat on the hottest day since October 19, 2022.

In the Mission District, where temperatures are generally the hottest in the city, many parents and young children took a dip in the Garfield Center Pool. San Francisco Rec and Park on Tuesday announced free swimming at public pools from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Workers near Salesforce gathered at Indian-inspired ice cream shop Koolfi Creamery, where owner Priti Narayanan released her summer flavors in anticipation of the hot season.

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One customer, Jeremiah Glodoveza, nodded in agreement. “It's amazing, the flavors are really authentic and I haven't tasted anything like this since I was in Mumbai,” said Glodoveza.

A woman also waiting in line for ice cream explained why going to work on hot days like these wasn't so bad.

“If you don’t have air conditioning at home, you might as well come to the office,” she laughed.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Housing Survey, 92% of households in the country have air conditioning. In California it is 78%. But in San Francisco, that number is less than half.

Waiting in line to cool off in the East Bay

Seniors in Concord lined up to get in and enjoy the air conditioning on this very hot October day. Pittsburg and Concord were among the cities that opened cooling centers for shade seekers; After all, 71 degrees is much better than 100 plus if you don't have air conditioning at home or in the office.

Down in Dublin, residents relaxed in the 69 degree weather in the library with comfy chairs, computer screens and videos to pass the time.

“I live in a small cottage in Hayward and my fans can only take so much without air conditioning. “I come to this side of the hill where it's a little hotter, but I can stay in a hotel where there's a pool and air conditioning to be accessible and enjoy my days off,” said Hayward resident Troy Godinez .

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Most of the time in the Bay Area, when the fog rolls through the Golden Gate, you can get by without air conditioning. But then there are times when you need it.

“I don't have air conditioning in my home and it's nice to have somewhere to go when the temperatures rise, you don't have air circulation and you need to cool down,” said Shari Jackman, communications manager in Dublin.

Even though it's October, pumpkin spice lattes weren't the focus on Tuesday — instead, people turned to summer staples like ice cream to get through this heat wave.

We help the homeless from the South Bay heat

In the South Bay, a severe heat wave is putting the homeless population at increased risk. Shaunn Cartwright of the Unhoused Response Group has been distributing essential supplies such as water to those in need, stressing that people were unprepared for the heat and expected the weather to cool down in the fall.

“They weren’t ready for this,” Cartwright said. “So it's really difficult and you don't pay attention to the weather because you assume it's fall and I don't have to think about it.”

Santa Clara County has opened 21 cooling centers to support the homeless, with outreach teams providing resources such as water bottles, tarps and cooling towels.

Pastor Scott Wagers of CHAM Deliverance Ministry was also on the front lines, warning the homeless that the heat wave could last all week and providing them with essential information and supplies.

As authorities work to mitigate the effects of the heat, most cooling centers in San Jose will remain open through Sunday.

Bay City News contributed to this report.