Very hot conditions will dominate the week, with a high risk for heat illness as Southern California is in the grips of a long heat wave that will continue until next weekend, forecasters said Monday.
“All areas 5-10 miles inland of the beaches will likely see high temperatures in the 100-110 range by Tuesday or Wednesday, with little change through Friday or Saturday,” said the National Weather Service. “In addition to the daytime highs overnight lows will be 8 to 12 degrees above normal and this will greatly exacerbate the heat risk as there will be no time for people’s body to release the heat stress.”
The temperature reached 97 degrees in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, and surpassed 100 in many parts of the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.
Similar numbers were expected to continue for several days, with overnight lows heating up as well, remaining in the 70s in the valleys, according to the NWS. The heat wave is expected to peak Tuesday through Thursday, but temperatures will remain hot next weekend as well.
An extreme heat watch was issued for Tuesday morning through at least Friday evening for the entire county, preceded by a heat advisory in effect through 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Orange County was feeling the heat as well, with a heat advisory in effect until at least 10 a.m. Tuesday followed by an extreme heat watch until Friday. Anaheim reached a high of 97 on Sunday and was expected to hit 94, 96, 96 and 98 Monday through Thursday.
The weather will also produce elevated wildfire danger, with “increased risk for large plume-dominated fire behavior” away from the coast, according to the NWS. No major wind events are expected in the Southland this week, with afternoon and evening winds in the usual range of 15 to 25 mph in the Antelope Valley.
“Some cooling is forecast on Saturday, but in the past these heat waves have held on a little longer than forecast,” the NWS added.
Health officials advised people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day and check up on relatives and neighbors.
The public was also urged to never leave children or pets in parked vehicles for even a minute, as temperatures inside vehicles can reach deadly levels in virtually no time.