COOL HARBOR WATER PARK THRIVES AS HEAT WILTS SOME BUSINESS.

Byline: Amy Raisin Darvish Staff Writer

NEWHALL - Employees at a local nursery didn't need a thermometer Monday afternoon to know that temperatures again had soared into the 100s. The parched flowers and lack of customers said it all.

``We don't have a lot of customers when it's this hot because most people just don't want to plant in this weather,'' Rudy Ruiz, assistant manager at Sunset Nursery and Landscaping on Lyons Avenue, said.

It's just a fact of life for nurseries this time of year in the Santa Clarita Valley: Water bills rise, business slows, and green thumbs head indoors.

Temperatures hit 104 Monday afternoon in Newhall, according to the National Weather Service. That might translate into sluggish sales for nurseries, but it means big business for destinations such as Hurricane Harbor at Six Flags California.

Connie Lujan, a spokeswoman for Hurricane Harbor, said the water park draws capacity crowds when the weather heats up, and Monday was no exception.

``It's a great family environment, and what better place to cool off when temperatures are in the triple digits?'' Lujan said.

An underground equipment failure knocked out power Sunday afternoon in parts of Stevenson Ranch, Valencia and Newhall, affecting about 5,400 customers.

The problem, reported at about 3:30 p.m., was fixed by 8:40 p.m. for most of the affected customers, and power was completely restored by 4:45 a.m. Monday, according to Ernie Villegas of Southern California Edison.

While Sunday's outage was not related to the hot weather, Villegas reminded customers to avoid using appliances between noon and 6 p.m. when air-conditioning systems are on full force.

``It looks like temperatures are expected to continue (in the 100s) for the week, so we want to remind customers to be more aware of when they use their appliances,'' he said. ``And instead of 72, set the air conditioning to 78 degrees. It really makes a difference.''

The National Weather Service forecast shows 100-plus-degree temperatures through the end of the week with some humidity. Overnight lows will dip to a mild 73 degrees.

Amy Raisin Darvish, [phone]

amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) A crowd enjoys the feeling of cool swells Monday in the wave pool at Six Flags California's Hurricane Harbor.

(2 -- color) Shakay Dashjian of Burbank speeds down a lane Monday on the Bamboo Racer at Hurricane Harbor.

(3) The Tornado, a ride with a 75-foot drop, provides wet thrills Monday at Six Flags California's Hurricane Harbor.

David Crane/Staff Photographer