Another day of dangerously high temperatures will grip the Southland Wednesday as a prolonged heat wave continues, with extreme heat warnings in effect across much of the region and an elevated wildfire threat in parts of Los Angeles County.
“High and low temperatures will continue to rise through Thursday, to as much as 10 to 15 degrees above average, with not much change for Friday,” according to the National Weather Service.
Temperatures could reach as high as 112 degrees in some of the traditionally hottest areas, including the valleys and the San Gabriel and Santa Monica mountains, forecasters said.
An extreme heat warning will remain in effect for the bulk of the Southland through 8 p.m. Friday. Even beaches and inland coastal areas are covered by the warnings, with triple-digit temperatures of up to 102 degrees possible, particularly away from the immediate coast.
In Orange County, extreme heat warnings will remain in effect through 8 p.m. Friday for the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills and inland areas including Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Fullerton and Irvine. A less severe heat advisory will be in effect in Orange County coastal areas.
“The lack of a strong onshore gradient in the afternoon will allow the inland areas of the coastal regions to warm into the 90s with even some 100 to 101 degree readings possible,” according to the NWS.
The heat will be accompanied in some inland areas by gusting winds and low humidity, prompting a red flag warning of critical fire danger that will remain in effect until 3 p.m. Friday. The warning will be in effect for the San Gabriel Mountains and the Golden State (5) and Antelope Valley (14) freeway corridors in northern Los Angeles County.
Forecasters warned of temperatures reaching 106 to 108 degrees in areas covered by the red flag warning and 100 degrees in some lower elevations, combined with humidity levels below 10% in some areas.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department has augmented staffing and pre-positioned personnel and resources throughout the area to ensure rapid response to wildfires.
With residents likely to head to the coast to escape the heat, the fire department also warned that elevated surf conditions and strong rip currents are impacting beaches, raising the risk of drowning.
Southern California Edison has also warned of the possibility of Public Safety Power Shutoffs for about 3,100 customers in Los Angeles County, mainly near Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area and in northern areas including Castaic and Sandberg. The shutoffs are precautionary power cuts implemented during high-fire-danger conditions in an effort to prevent wildfires from being sparked by energized electrical lines and equipment.
By late Tuesday afternoon, temperatures had climbed to 105 degrees in Lancaster and 104 degrees in Van Nuys, while Anaheim reached 94 degrees.
Los Angeles International Airport reached 85 degrees on Tuesday, breaking the record for that date of 84 degrees set in 1981.
In Anaheim and Santa Ana, the lowest temperatures recorded on Tuesday was 72 degrees. For Anaheim, that broke the previous record of 71 degrees set in 2015. Santa Ana broke the record of 71 degrees set in 1947.
NWS forecasters said this year has been the warmest summer on record in downtown Los Angeles. According to the agency, the average downtown temperature from July 1 through Monday was 88.4 degrees, topping the record for the period of 88.1 degrees originally set in 1886 and matched in 1998.
Local health officials urged people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms, avoid the sun during the hottest parts of the day and check on relatives and neighbors.
Various Southland cities provide cooling centers for residents without access to air conditioning. A list of available cooling centers in the city of Los Angeles is available at emergency.lacity.gov/heat. Los Angeles residents can also call 311 for information.
A listing of Los Angeles County cooling centers, along with locations of county pools and splash pads, is available at ready.lacounty.gov/heat/.