A March heat wave is on the way to Riverside County this week, with highs soaring into the triple digits and possibly setting records for this time of year, forecasters said Sunday.
A heat advisory was issued for the region from 10 a.m Monday to 8 p.m. Friday.
“High temperatures … will be 20 to 30 degrees above normal for this time of year, where record breaking heat is likely,” the National Weather Service announced.
Sunday temperatures were expected to increase by a few degrees throughout the county ahead of the expected heat wave.
“All regions will continue to warm another 2-5 degrees on Tuesday. By Tuesday, chances for 100 degrees are around 20-40% for the southern Inland Empire and northern Orange County, closer to 50-80% across the northern Inland Empire,” the NWS added.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms and stay out of the sun (during peak heat),” the agency said.
By comparison, during the same time last year, area highs peaked in the upper 50s to low 60s, according to temperature charts.
For the Coachella Valley, elevated temps will be summer-like through the weekend and into the middle of the week, holding in the upper 90s and likely rising into the triple digits by Monday, with lows in the low to mid 70s, forecasters said.
“As the high slowly weakens and pushes into Arizona late week, hot temperatures will be last to cool across the Coachella Valley and Anza-Borrego desert,” the NWS said.
In the Temecula Valley, the temperature band will be almost identical to the Riverside area through the week, with overnight temperatures in the low to mid-50s.
“Models are in fair agreement of a trough beginning to loom offshore by next weekend, bringing a gradual cooling trend first along and west of the mountains by next Saturday, then across all areas thereafter,” the NWS announced.
Cooling centers throughout Riverside County can be found at countyofriverside.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5ffaf74e67244b829796eeb8df6bc6a7.