Temperatures are expected to dip slightly starting Saturday, but remain well into the triple-digits as a major heat wave continues.
Riverside was one degree short Friday of tying its 125-year-old all-time record high of 118 degrees as the county was withering under a punishing heat wave Saturday, with temperatures soaring past the century mark before noon in desert communities.
Daytime desert highs on Friday included 118 degrees in Thermal and Palm Desert, 117 degrees in Palm Springs and 114 degrees in Indio, the National Weather Service said.
Much of the region remains under an excessive heat warning Saturday, including the cities of Riverside, San Bernardino, Ontario, Moreno Valley, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, and Corona. Low temperatures in the 70s were expected overnight.
The mercury topped out at 117 degrees in Riverside, 113 degrees in Corona, and 112 degrees in Temecula and Hemet, according to the NWS.
The South Coast Air Management District warned that the heat could cause the air quality in the Inland Empire to reach unhealthy levels and urged residents, especially those with respiratory conditions, to refrain from outdoor exertion.
Air quality was listed as unhealthful for sensitive groups, which includes people with breathing problems, in the Coachella Valley, the Riverside area, Hemet and Lake Elsinore. The rest of the county’s air will be of moderate quality.
Forecasters said the elevated temperatures would “create a dangerous situation in which heat illnesses are possible.” Residents were advised to drink plenty of fluids and stay out of the sun if possible.
The NWS issued a reminder that “young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. This is especially true during warm or hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.”
County health officials advised locals to take advantage of the 56 cooling centers that opened to the public this month and are available at no cost. A list of cooling centers can be found at www.capriverside.org.
Temperatures are expected to dip slightly starting Saturday, but remain well into the triple digits.