A heat wave gripping the Inland Empire and the Coachella Valley will peak Sunday as the region endures hotter than normal temperatures until at least Tuesday, forecasters said.
The forecasted high for Sunday in Riverside was 97 degrees, and at Palm Springs it was 103 degrees.
Triple-digit heat was expected through midweek in the low deserts, including the Coachella Valley, according to the National Weather Service. The NWS predicted temperatures will reach 10 to 15 degrees above average.
The scorching weather may even trigger an excessive heat warning in the region while the heat wave persists, the agency warned, although none had been issued as of 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
“The low deserts will have a moderate to elevated heat risk level Monday and Tuesday,” NWS meteorologists said.
By 1 p.m., NWS data showed Indio at 101 degrees, the San Gorgonio Pass at 99 degrees and Palm Springs at 102 degrees. Riverside stood at a balmy 92 degrees.
The heat wave was expected to break by Wednesday as the high pressure ridge begins to weaken and coastal clouds move inland, forecasters said.
–City News Service