The Southland is heading into an unseasonable March heat wave that is expected to yield record-breaking temperature this week with highs soaring into the upper 90s and overnight lows hovering in the 60s.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for most of the region from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, and an extreme heat warning from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Friday.
“The area is still very much on track for a historic, long-duration, heat event,” the NWS said Sunday. “On Monday, temperatures will climb into the 80s to mid 90s for all areas. … For Tuesday and Wednesday, the heat will continue to build as the upper level high pressure strengthens. For areas away from the coast, temperatures will climb into the mid 90s to low 100s. However across immediate coastal areas, high temperatures are a bit more uncertain due to their dependence on the surface pressure gradients and are currently forecast to be in the mid 80s to mid 90s.
” … As for overnight low temperatures, there will be a steady warming trend through Wednesday, compounding the uncomfortable nature of this pattern.”
Other than temperatures, no significant issues are expected, forecasters added.
Sunday’s high reached 86 degrees in downtown Los Angeles, but that was expected to rise to 92 on Monday and 97 on Tuesday. Thursday was shaping up to be the hottest day of the week, topping out at 98 degrees in downtown LA and 100 in Van Nuys.
The NWS called this week’s heat wave “quite possibly one of the top heat wave events for the month of March, ever.” Heat records were already set Friday, including a high of 92 degrees in downtown LA (the previous record for March 13 was 90 degrees in 2015), and 88 at LAX (breaking the previous record of 86 degrees in 1994). More records for this time of year are expected to fall this week, with maximum temperatures as much as 20 to 30 degrees above normal.
Cal/OSHA urged employers to take precautions to protect workers as temperatures rise across the state.
“This is one of the first heat waves of the year, with temperatures rising above the seasonal average,” the agency said in a statement. “Employees may not yet be acclimatized to high heat and may need additional breaks and interventions when they adapt to the conditions. Cal/OSHA reminds employers to be vigilant, especially with newer employees, and ensure that employees have shade, water and rest breaks to prevent heat illness.”
The heat wave is expected to ease up next Saturday, with a projected high of 84 in downtown Los Angeles, dropping to 76 next Sunday.