Heat expected to linger across Southern California after highs reach upper 90s, 100s
A heat wave scorching Southern California saw temperatures climb into the 90s and 100s on Monday as a small community in Imperial County recorded the nation’s highest temperature for the day.
No daily temperature records were set, but Monday saw highs in the upper 90s to around 100 degrees in inland portions of the Los Angeles area, said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Van Nuys and Pasadena reached 100 degrees, while Northridge, Burbank and Woodland Hills fell just short of triple digits at 99 degrees, Munroe said. Portions of the San Gabriel Valley, such as Azusa and Pomona, also saw highs in the upper 90s to 100 degrees.
Downtown Los Angeles recorded a high of 88, while coastal areas, with the exception of Long Beach’s high of 92, were generally in the 70s, Munroe said. Areas of southeast L.A. County, such as Downey and Norwalk, were in the low to mid-90s, and communities in South L.A. had highs in the upper 80s to low 90s.
“It’s 10 to 15 degrees above normal,” David Sweet, a weather service meteorologist in Oxnard, said earlier Monday. “With warmer-than-normal weather, we always tell people to drink plenty of water, stay in an air-conditioned room if you can and avoid the heat of the day.”
The small community of Winterhaven, across the state border from Yuma, Ariz., recorded the nation’s highest temperature Monday at 107 degrees, said Mark Moede, a meteorologist with the weather service’s San Diego office.
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Ocotillo Wells, located between Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and the Salton Sea, saw a high of 106 degrees, and Palm Springs topped out at 104, Moede said.
Ontario, Riverside and Yorba Linda reached 100 degrees, he said. Anaheim reached 99, Santa Ana hit 92, and Huntington Beach saw a high of 80.
Tuesday’s temperatures in Orange County are expected to be 5 to 10 degrees cooler, with marine air bringing some relief, Moede said.
Temperatures across most of Southern California will stay high Tuesday, the first day of summer, Sweet said, but should cool off Wednesday and into Thursday as a system from the north moves in, bringing more cloud cover and possibly some moisture.
But forecasters don’t expect much, if any, rain.
“The odds are low,” Moede said.
Earlier Monday, the weather service’s Oxnard office warned of elevated fire danger for interior areas through the weekend.
If thunderstorms form, they could see dry lighting ignite brush fires in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, according to forecasters.
The cool-off will probably be short-lived, with temperatures again increasing Friday and through the weekend, back to high 80s downtown, 90s in surrounding areas and 100s in the valleys, meteorologists said.
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