Another day of triple-digit temperatures will bake some parts of the Los Angeles area Friday as a late-summer heat wave stretches into the weekend.
With temperatures topping 100 degrees across many valley and desert areas, concerns about possible wildfires have also heightened.
A red flag warning of critical fire danger took effect at 9 a.m. Wednesday and will remain in place through 9 p.m. Saturday in the Santa Clarita Valley, San Gabriel Mountains, Antelope Valley foothills and the Golden State (5) and Antelope Valley (14) freeway corridors. Those areas are expected to face “unseasonably hot high temperatures, generally 95-110 degrees and highest Thursday through Saturday,” combined with humidity levels as low as 8%, according to the National Weather Service.
Locations like downtown Los Angeles have been in the high 90s since the mercury began rising in the area Wednesday. Thursday was one of the hottest days of the heat wave, although similar conditions are anticipated Friday with the additional threat of thunderstorms.
The risk of thunderstorm is primarily in the mountain areas, according to the NWS.
“High pressure aloft over the Four Corners region (where New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado meet) will linger through at least Sunday, according to the NWS ”Showers and thunderstorms will be possible over the Los Angeles and Ventura County mountains, and portions of the Antelope Valley, during the afternoon and evening hours through Monday. A few showers spilling over into the valleys and foothills cannot be ruled out over the weekend. A cooling trend is expected for next week as an upper-level trough approaches the West Coast.”
An extreme heat warning will be in place until 9 p.m. Saturday for most of the area, including the inland coastal area that includes downtown Los Angeles. Other valley and mountain areas could see highs reaching 110 degrees or more during the warning period, said the NWS.
Some cooling is expected on Saturday, although temperatures will still remain 5-10 degrees above normal.
“In fact, models continue to indicate very little change in temperatures between Saturday and Sunday so there’s a greater than 50% chance that many, if not all, the heat hazards will be extended into Sunday,” the NWS said.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it is monitoring the forecast and making necessary preparations to meet emergency demands during the heat wave. LAFD added Crew 4, which is a team made up of 26 specially trained personnel who will respond to wildfires within and around the city.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state had pre-deployed firefighting resources to Los Angeles County — totaling 10 fire engines, two water tenders, two bulldozers, one helicopter, two hand crews, thee dispatchers and one Incident Management Team.
On Thursday, one of the crews helped douse a brush fire in the Sepulveda Basin.
Mayor Karen Bass has directed city personnel throughout Los Angeles to take all necessary steps to combat the conditions that will accompany the heat wave.
According to a statement from the mayor’s office, a coordinated effort to manage any heat emergencies was underway. “The Mayor’s Office of Public Safety, Emergency Management Department, LAFD, LAPD, Recreation and Parks, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and other city departments (are taking steps) to ensure all are ready to respond as needed,” according to Bass’ office.
“The combination of warm overnight lows and these daytime highs will result in dangerous heat condition across much of the area,” forecasters said.
Los Angeles has opened augmented cooling centers throughout the city and hundreds of locations for relief from the heat.
For locations and hours of operation, visit laparks.org/reccenter and lapl.org/branches.
The city is also opening the additional cooling centers that are accessible to people with disabilities and will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the days listed below:
From Wednesday through Saturday:
— Canoga Park Senior Citizen Center, 7326 Jordan Ave.; and
— North Hollywood Senior Citizen Center, 5301 Tujunga Ave.
From Thursday through Friday:
— Pecan Recreation Center, 145 S. Pecan St., Los Angeles; and
— Algin Sutton Recreation Center, 8800 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles.
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