Near-record temperatures were expected for a second straight day Sunday as a blistering heat wave maintained its stranglehold on the Southland, with no significant relief expected until after Labor Day.
An excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service is in effect until 8 p.m. Monday in the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains, Santa Catalina Island and the San Fernando, Santa Clarita, San Gabriel and Antelope valleys.
In Orange County, the warning will be in force in coastal areas until 8 p.m. Monday.
The heat wave has already produced scattered power outages affecting thousands of people, along with dangerous health conditions and an increased danger of wildfires.
Woodland Hills broke its all-time heat record with a temperature of 118 on Saturday, according to the NWS. The previous record of 114 was set in 1955. The temperature in Palmdale hit 111 degrees Saturday, which broke a record 109 set on Sept. 2, 1996.
Similar numbers were in store Sunday, with Woodland Hills and Calabasas expected to reach 119 degrees, Van Nuys 118, Chatsworth 117, Pasadena and Santa Clarita 116, Burbank 112, and 110 in downtown Los Angeles.
Temperatures also rose sharply over the weekend in Orange County, where it was expected to reach as high as 112 degrees in Fullerton on Sunday.
“The very hot conditions through Labor Day will bring an increased threat of large fire activity including fires with large vertical growth,” the NWS tweeted.
“These highs on Saturday and Sunday will be about 15-25 (degrees) above normal across the region,” according to an NWS statement. “Temps will become dangerously hot for most areas, even over the coastal plain away from the beaches Saturday and Sunday. This kind of heat can be life-threatening and people are urged to use common sense, keep hydrated and stay out of the heat and in air-conditioned locations as much as possible.”
The high temperatures were also sparking concerns about demand on the state’s power grid as residents turn up their air conditioners.
The California Independent System Operator, which manages the power grid, announced that a Flex Alert — a call for voluntary conservation — will be in effect from 3 to 9 p.m. through Monday. Urging voluntary conservation is an effort to stave off too much strain on the state’s electrical system, possibly leading to rolling power outages, like those that occurred during high heat last month.
Southern California Edison and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power were scrambling to repair several power outages Sunday, affecting thousands of customers.
Authorities advised that children, seniors and pets must never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances since temperatures can quickly turn lethal in the current conditions.
Cooling centers will be open throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. They can be found at ready.lacounty.gov/heat/, and www.211oc.org/resource-centers/extreme-heat-cooling-centers.html.
Authorities noted that due to the coronavirus pandemic, cooling centers will be limited in capacity and restrictions will be in place, such as requiring face coverings.
The high heat is being attributed to high pressure, which is forecast to settle into the Great Basin area through the weekend.
In forecasting an increased fire danger, forecasters said they were mainly focusing on the dryness that will take hold in the region, partly because of the absence of monsoonal moisture. Forecasters said humidity levels will fall to single digits in interior areas of L.A. County.
A red flag warning indicating a high risk of wildfires was issued for the Los Angeles County mountains from 6 p.m. Sunday through 10 p.m. Monday.
The heat was expected to ease by about 10-12 degrees on Monday, but still remain above 100 degrees in many areas.