A stretch of unusually hot weather is expected to grip Southern California beginning this weekend and continuing into early next week.
“Temperatures will reach the mid-70s to 80s across much of the region through Friday, warming to the 80s and 90s over the weekend through Tuesday,” according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters said some of the warmest valley areas could see temperatures reach triple digits Sunday and Monday, with a moderate heat risk expected to develop through at least Monday and possibly Tuesday.
Coastal areas are expected to remain cooler because of a persistent, though diminishing marine layer.
The weather service said there is only a 20% to 30% chance heat advisories will be needed for valley and inland areas because the heat wave is expected to be brief and overnight temperatures should remain relatively comfortable.
Light winds during the hottest part of the day are expected to allow cooler overnight temperatures in valley areas, with lows generally ranging from the mid-50s to around 60 degrees even where daytime highs climb well into the 90s.
Forecasters also said breezy northwest to northeast winds, while expected to remain below advisory levels, could elevate fire danger amid warmer and drier conditions.
Cooling is expected to begin Tuesday as weakening high pressure and stronger onshore flow bring temperatures down by 4 to 8 degrees in most areas.
Desert communities may not see more substantial cooling until Wednesday, when temperatures across the region are expected to return to near-normal levels.