NEW WATER PARK A WELCOME TREAT IN SULTRY HEAT.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

PANORAMA CITY - It's as muggy as Miami, as soupy as San Francisco and as sultry as San Antonio.

Only it's Southern California in the middle of a heat-and-humidity wave of hot tempers, sweaty brows and frizzy hair.

``It's sort of like the East Coast - hot and humid,'' weather specialist Bruce Rockwell said Thursday from the National Weather Service office in Oxnard, where it was 14 degrees cooler than in the San Fernando Valley.

``It'll be slightly cooler (today) and make it less unbearable.''

Temperatures across Southern California on Thursday ranged from 82 in downtown Los Angeles to 91 in Burbank and 109 in Lancaster. It reached 93 degrees in Chatsworth, 94 in Northridge, 95 in Van Nuys, 97 in both Woodland Hills and Simi Valley, and 101 in Newhall.

Humidity ran as high as 90 percent in the morning, but tapered off to 50 percent in the afternoon.

Few were as eager for relief as the dozens of children in Panorama City waiting for the ribbon to fall on the city's first aquatic ``splash pad'' playground.

``Does it get hot in the San Fernando Valley?'' yelled City Council President Alex Padilla, one of many dignitaries to celebrate the interactive fountain.

``Yessssss!,'' screamed the kids.

``Does it get hot in Panorama City?'' Padilla continued. ``Let's stay cool, let's get wet and in just a minute we'll get to push that button.''

With a watery woosh, the $300,000 splash pad whirred to life - a 15-foot-by-30-foot mass of blue and yellow wheels, buckets, pipes and valves drenching the children in cool relief.

The state-of-the-art playground, funded by the Department of Water and Power and managed by Department of Recreation and Parks, will be duplicated this summer at parks in North Hollywood and South Los Angeles.

``It really takes the old wading pool to the next level,'' said Manuel Mollinedo, general manager of the parks department, who was joined by Mayor James Hahn, City Controller Laura Chick and DWP chief David Wiggs.

City officials say the new splash pads are safer and cheaper to run than swimming pools, and use far less water.

``I don't like it, I looove it!,'' said Diandra Miller, 8, of Panorama City, wet to her toes in a pink bathing suit. ``It's so cool.''

Steve Andersen, with 5-year-old Michaela in tow, agreed. Before the renovation of the park's jungle gyms and splash park, he would drive his daughter to a park in Sylmar to avoid the park's infamous blight.

``I've never seen so many kids here - never, never, never,'' said Andersen, 28, of Arleta, who grew up playing baseball at the park. ``It's busier now than it's ever been.''

``When it's humid, it'll bring relief to the children,'' said Jeri Morgan of Panorama City, who was there with her two young grandchildren. ``I haven't tried it yet, but I'm tempted.''

Weather forecasters attributed the muggy heat to a Catalina eddy marine layer butting up to a hot, inland high pressure mass blowing offshore.

Rockwell of the NWS said he expects temperatures in the Valley to drop five degrees as a cooler marine layer pushes north from San Diego.

Residents can continue to expect patchy morning clouds with hazy afternoon sun and highs in the 80s to mid-90s through the weekend and temperatures in excess of 100 degrees next week.

Many residents said they've bucked up to the tropical heat.

``Put it this way,'' said a cheery Manuel Cruz, owner of Silver Motors in Van Nuys, from inside a steamy office. ``If something bothers you, you can handle it. You don't talk about it, you just maintain.''

Dana Bartholomew, [phone]

dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, map

Photo:

(1 -- color) Erika Velazquez, 11, of Panorama City feels the spray at a new free water playground unveiled Thursday at Panorama City Recreation Center.

(2 -- color) Kids try a new water playground with a variety of spinning wheels, geysers and turn valves.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

Map:

Panorama City Recreation Center

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