Temperatures were in the 90s in parts of the Southland Thursday as a heat wave blasted the area in advance of expected triple digits for Friday and Saturday, National Weather Service forecasters said.
It’ll be a busy time at local beaches, with temperatures hovering along the coast into the mid-80s through Monday and even possibly 90 on the sand Saturday.
“The hot conditions will result in an increased risk of heat-related illnesses, especially for the homeless, the elderly, infants, outdoor workers and those participating in outdoor activities,” said a statement on the weather service’s website. “The extended period of hot and dry conditions will also bring elevated fire danger.”
Forecasters said the heat wave, the product of high pressure anchored over the southwestern United States, will peak Friday and begin to retreat Saturday, followed by a drop of five to 10 degrees Sunday.
Thursday saw highs of 81 degrees Fahrenheit in Avalon; 82 at LAX; 83 on Mount Wilson; 87 in Irvine and Mission Viejo; 88 in Anaheim; 89 in downtown L.A.; 90 in Long Beach and Fullerton; 91 in Palmdale and Lancaster; 92 in San Gabriel and Yorba Linda; 93 in Burbank; 94 in Pasadena and Saugus; and 98 in Woodland Hills.
Temperatures will climb significantly Friday — generally between 5 and 8 degrees — reaching a high of 97 in downtown L.A. and 103 in Woodland Hills, which tends to be the hottest community in Los Angeles County.
Friday’s temperatures will run 15-20 degrees above normal, said NWS meteorologist Scott Sukup in a telephone interview from his monitoring station in Oxnard, adding that nonetheless, no heat records are expected.
Humidity levels Friday will run from the low to mid teens, but, given the expected absence of strong winds, red flag warnings are unlikely to be issued, he said.
No special weather advisories were immediately announced for Los Angeles County, but inland areas of Orange County will be under a heat advisory Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
—City News Service