More extreme heat is expected to prevail in Riverside County this week, according to forecasters.
Temperatures are expected to hover between 106 and 110 degrees in Palm Springs and Coachella through Thursday, with a slight decrease on Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Downtown Riverside will see highs in the upper 90s, possibly reaching 100 on Wednesday.
Overnight lows will be in the upper 60s to about 70 in downtown Riverside, in the mid-80s in Palm Springs and the mid-to-upper 80s in Coachella.
Sunday’s highs reached 108 degrees in Palm Springs, 109 in Coachella and 92 in Riverside.
For Wednesday to Friday, forecasters predicted a 15 to 20% chance of temperatures of 105 or higher over the interior portions of the Inland Empire like Lake Elsinore and Hemet and a 45 to 65% chance of high temperatures of 110 or more in the low desert.
“Widespread moderate heat risk is forecast for the valleys, lower elevation mountains, and deserts Wednesday through Friday, with areas of high heat risk in the low desert,” the NWS announced.
A slight 15% to 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms was predicted over the mountains and high deserts each afternoon from Thursday through Saturday, with lower chances next Sunday as the upper high shifts east and moisture begins to decrease, according to forecasters.
Health officials advised people to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day and check up on relatives and neighbors.
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.