Heat Starting to Ramp Up Quickly in Riverside County

The mercury is expected to jump into the triple digits Wednesday in parts of the Riverside metropolitan area as temperatures begin to spike throughout Riverside County heading into the weekend.

High pressure will build throughout the week over the southwestern United States, with temperatures expected to peak on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

The agency issued a heat advisory that will be in effect from 11 a.m. Thursday to 9 p.m. Saturday in the Riverside metropolitan area and the Riverside County mountains.

An excessive heat warning will also be in effect from 11 a.m. Thursday through 9 p.m. Saturday in the Coachella Valley and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning.

Highs in the Coachella Valley are expected to reach 120 on Friday and might even touch 121 on Saturday, forecasters said. The mercury in the Riverside metropolitan area is forecast to top out at 108 on Friday.

High temperatures Wednesday are forecast to reach 118 in the Coachella Valley, 105 in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, 102 in Hemet, 99 in Riverside, 99 in Lake Elsinore, 94 in Temecula and 91 in Idyllwild.

NWS officials urged residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors. Also, young children and pets should be never be left unattended in a vehicle, with car interiors able to “reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes,” according to the NWS.

Riverside County officials opened 14 cooling centers countywide on June 1 with mandatory mask wearing and social distancing protocols. They are set up in community buildings like schools or senior centers already equipped with air-conditioning, and are expected to remain open until October, or as temperatures warrant.

Among the 14 locations, five are in the Coachella Valley, two in the Banning Pass, one in Moreno Valley, one in Temecula and five in Riverside.

A full list of the cooling center locations can be found at: www.capriverside.org/Portals/2/PDF/Cool/2020_Cool_Center_Directory_v8.pdf?ver=2020-07-23-171401-730&timestamp=1595549655159.