Another heat wave is bringing dangerously hot conditions to parts of Riverside County this weekend, especially the Coachella Valley and desert communities.
An excessive heat watch is in effect for the Coachella Valley and the desert areas until at least 9 p.m. Sunday, with temperatures expected to be about 5 to 10 degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service.
“There will be dangerously hot conditions, with temperatures up to 117 degrees possible,” the NWS stated. “Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room and stay out of the sun.”
Children and pets should never be left inside vehicles on days that are even a little warmer than normal, as cars can turn into death traps in mere minutes.
Forecasters said a ridge of high pressure currently centered over the Four Corners will anchor in the Great Basin of Nevada and Utah until early next week. The mercury will only moderate slightly by the middle of the week.
According to the NWS, monsoonal moisture drifting into the region will raise the prospect of convective thunderstorms in the mountains and deserts, but the chances aren’t significant over the next few days.
On Saturday the Riverside metropolitan area reached a high of 99, Hemet reached a high of 102, the Temecula Valley reached 97, the Coachella Valley reached 109, and Palm Springs hit 116 degrees.
Highs in the Riverside metropolitan area will rocket to around 100 degrees on Sunday, while lows will generally hover in the lower 70s.
In the Coachella Valley, daytime temps will be between 110 and 120 degrees with overnight lows in the mid-80s into early next week.
The Temecula Valley will experience highs in the mid-90s Sunday and lows will drop into the mid-60s through next week, meteorologists said.