The blazing heat throughout Riverside County in the final days of winter led to another round of record highs countywide Wednesday.
The National Weather Service identified five locations where the mercury blasted past prior record temperatures established on March 18: Idyllwild, Indio, Palm Springs, Riverside and Thermal.
The mountaintop community of Idyllwild peaked at 87 degrees, compared to a previous record of 74 set in 2004.
In Indio, the daytime high was 107, beating the prior record of 99 on the same date in 2007.
In Riverside, the mercury touched 98 by Wednesday afternoon, undoing the long-standing record of 93 set in 1914.
Palm Springs reached 105, topping the previous record of 95 from 1990, while Thermal’s high of 107 trounced the old record of 97 from 1997, according to the weather service.
The precedent-setting temperatures followed analogous highs — and records — documented on Tuesday.
The first official day of spring is Friday, and according to forecasters, between now and then, there’ll be little let-up in the sizzle, signaling the likelihood of further records to come in March, due to high pressure patterns dominating the region.
“There will continue to be widespread records tied or broken for record high temperatures and record warm low temperatures except near the beaches,” according to the NWS.
“Outside of the immediate coast, Thursday and Friday are likely to be the hottest days depending on location with high temperatures as much as 30 to 35 degrees above average for the inland valleys and lower elevations of the mountains.”
An extreme heat warning remains in effect for the Coachella Valley and San Gorgonio Pass until 8 p.m. Saturday. A heat advisory is in effect for the Riverside metropolitan area until 8 p.m. Friday.
Forecasters advised the public to “drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room (and) stay out of the sun.”
“Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles,” the NWS said. “Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing. Try to limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening.”
A list of cooling centers throughout Riverside County can be found at countyofriverside.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5ffaf74e67244 b829796eeb8df6bc6a7.