Temperatures will hit triple digits across parts of the Inland Empire Monday through Wednesday, prompting the National Weather Service to advise residents to take precautions.
A ridge of high pressure anchored in the Southwest will influence weather patterns for the first half of the week, giving way to a gradual cool-down heading into the weekend, the NWS said.
A Heat Advisory is in effect from 10 a.m. Monday to 8 p.m. Wednesday throughout the region.
“For the Inland Empire, temperatures will see minimal changes through Wednesday, keeping highs in the upper 90s to just over 100 degrees,” the agency said in a statement. “If possible, avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day.”
A coastal wind event is anticipated Monday and Tuesday as a weak upper level trough of low pressure sweeps by the high, generating some gusts in wind-prone locations, according to meteorologists.
“(Expect) breezy west winds along the desert mountain slopes, below the passes and into the deserts during the afternoons and evenings,” the NWS stated. “Strongest winds are expected Monday, with gusts 30 to 45 mph, locally up to 50 mph through the San Gorgonio Pass.”
No fire watches had been issued as of early Monday afternoon.
“A very gradual cooling is expected (going) into the weekend,” forecasters said.
In the Riverside metropolitan area, the highs Monday to Wednesday were predicted to top out at or just below 100, with overnight lows in the mid 60s. Temperatures will moderate on Thursday and Friday, peaking in the low 90s, followed by lows around 60.
In the Coachella Valley, the mercury will settle in the 110s Monday to Wednesday, only dropping to the low 80s during the nighttime hours. Thursday into the weekend, the highs and lows will edge only slightly lower.
For the Temecula Valley, owing to early morning marine layers, daytime highs Monday to Wednesday are not expected to rise much above 90, with overnight temps in the upper 50s. The temperature band will come down for the weekend, with highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid to upper 50s, according to the Weather Service.