Southern California’s scorching heat wave peaks: Here’s how hot it will get and when it will end
Wednesday is forecast to be the hottest day of Southern California’s worst heat wave of the summer.
Most coastal and valley areas will be 10 to 15 degrees above normal, with temperatures topping 100 in the valleys, according to the National Weather Service.
Downtown Los Angeles is expected to reach 101 degrees, which would break a daily record of 98 set in 1981.
Forecasters say this event isn’t only uncomfortable, it’s dangerous — with a high risk of heat-related illness. It comes amid a sweltering summer that’s been characterized by high nighttime temperatures and muggy conditions, especially along the Southern California coast, due to unusually warm ocean waters.
Globally, last month tied 2024 as the warmest July since record-keeping began in 1850. And the average sea-surface temperature just hit a record 70 degrees, according to Europe’s Earth observation agency Copernicus, as the burning of fossil fuels continues to heat the planet.
This week’s heat has already broken daily records across Southern California, according to preliminary information from the National Weather Service.
On Monday, downtown Los Angeles reached 98 degrees, surpassing a record of 96 set in 1931. Long Beach Airport recorded a high of 97 degrees, breaking a record of 95 set in 2010.
On Tuesday, Los Angeles International Airport recorded a high of 85 degrees, surpassing a record of 84 set in 1981; and Camarillo Airport reached 86 degrees, breaking a record of 85 set in 1931. Even the National Weather Service’s Oxnard station wasn’t spared — topping out at 87 degrees, besting a record of 85 set in 1931.
But all that was just the (literal) warm-up act. Forecasters expect more records to be broken Wednesday.
Here’s how hot it will get.
The coast
Forecasters are calling for highs of 86 degrees at LAX and 99 degrees in Long Beach. Santa Monica should reach 87 degrees, surpassing the daily record of 85 set in 2011; and Hawthorne is expected to hit 93 degrees, besting the record of 88 set in 2015.
Camarillo should reach 105 degrees and Oxnard 90 degrees, both smashing records of 86 set in 2015. Santa Barbara is expected to reach 85 degrees, and Santa Maria 86 degrees.
The valleys
Burbank is expected to reach 105 degrees; Van Nuys 107, which would break a record of 105 set in 2010; and Woodland Hills 111, which would break a 109-degree record set in 1981.
Inland
Palmdale and Lancaster are both forecast to see a high of 105. Farther north, Paso Robles is expected to reach 107 degrees, potentially breaking a record of 106 set in 2017.
The days ahead
Conditions are expected to cool off a bit Thursday, although it’s not yet clear how much, as the remnants of Tropical Storm Iselle move over the state.
Still, people may not feel much relief, as the storm moisture will ramp up humidity levels, according to the National Weather Service. There’s a 10% to 15% chance of showers Thursday, the forecast states.
Temperatures will still linger above normal, and most heat advisories and warnings are in place through 8 p.m. Friday.
The National Weather Service is calling for a cooling trend for the weekend, with three to six degrees of cooling Saturday followed by an additional four to eight degrees Sunday, bringing temperatures in most areas to a few degrees below normal.