Heat warnings remained effective throughout Riverside County Sunday, with major heat risk in the deserts, authorities said.
An extreme heat warning was issued until at least 8 p.m. Sunday in the Coachella Valley and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, while a less severe heat advisory was in effect during the same time for the mountains, valleys and inland areas, according to the National Weather Service.
Sunday’s temperatures were expected to reach 100 degrees in downtown Riverside, 95 in Temecula, 102 in Hemet, 112 in Coachella and 111 in Palm Springs.
“Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors,” the NWS advised.
The public was also urged to never leave children or pets in parked vehicles for even a minute, as temperatures inside vehicles can reach deadly levels in virtually no time.
Temperatures will slowly trend lower on Monday and Tuesday, but daytime temperatures were expected to remain about 5 to 10 degrees above normal, forecasters said.
A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the mountains and deserts was predicted each afternoon and evening through Wednesday, according to the NWS.
The highest chances of rain were expected Monday and Tuesday.
“These storms will likely collapse before reaching western Riverside or San Bernardino Counties but there is a small chance that they could reach the Coachella Valley intact by 3 am. If any storms reach western Riverside County, they will likely be quite weak,” the NWS announced.
A further slight decrease in temperatures is expected toward the end of the week. By Saturday, temperatures were expected to be about 10 degrees lower throughout the county, with the downtown Riverside area at 90 degrees, 86 Temecula at 86, Hemet at 92, the Coachella Valley at 106 and Palm Springs at 105, according to the NWS.