Alright, so Southern California is about to get hit with a serious heatwave this week, and it’s not looking too pretty. Inland temperatures are expected to soar into the 90s, and some parts of the San Fernando Valley might even reach triple digits. The National Weather Service is sounding the alarm, warning everyone to brace themselves for a major warm-up from Tuesday to Thursday. Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist from the National Weather Service in Oxnard, mentioned that we can expect highs between 90 and 100 degrees, with some areas possibly breaking records. Yikes!
The hottest days are predicted to be Wednesday and Thursday, and places like the San Fernando, San Gabriel, and Santa Clarita valleys are going to feel the heat the most in L.A. County. Woodland Hills and Canoga Park are looking at a scorching 100 degrees, which are usually the hottest spots. But wait, it gets even worse farther inland – Palm Springs is expected to hit a whopping 105 degrees on Thursday. Coastal areas won’t be spared either, with Los Angeles International Airport forecasted to reach 78 degrees on Wednesday, potentially matching a record. Long Beach Airport and Santa Barbara might also hit record-tying highs. So yeah, it’s going to be a sweat fest for sure.
Now, the real deal here is the inland areas, where things are going to get seriously toasty. Kittell is urging everyone to be cautious, especially on Wednesday and Thursday. He’s advising folks in those regions to steer clear of strenuous outdoor activities between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. on the hottest days. And hey, we’ve already seen some heat-related rescues this month, like when 15 people in Orange County and nine in Riverside County had to be saved on May 10 due to the high temperatures. Even in Los Angeles, a hiker had to be airlifted from the Hollywood Hills because of heat exhaustion. Monday was just a warm-up for what’s coming – Downtown Los Angeles hit 77 degrees, Woodland Hills reached 88, and Palm Springs was a scorching 97 by 2 p.m. Despite the dry heat and gusty winds, there’s no red flag warning for widespread fire danger. The good news is that the high-pressure system causing this heatwave will start to ease up by Friday, bringing cooler air and dropping temperatures back to the 70s and low 80s for most of L.A. County. Deserts areas will still be sizzling over the weekend, but overall, Southern California should see much milder weather just in time for Memorial Day celebrations. So hang in there, relief is on the horizon.
