After weeks of relatively mild summer temperatures across much of Southern California, Mother Nature is turning up the heat next week.
Temperatures this weekend will hover in the mid-80s in downtown Los Angeles, and in the high 80s to mid-90s in the valleys, persisting through at least Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The low clouds and morning fog that hang along the coast and burn off by the early afternoon are also expected to continue — but not for long.
The mercury is forecast to rise on Tuesday, and by Wednesday, it’ll be extra toasty across much of Los Angeles County with temperatures soaring past 100 degrees in the valleys and the low 80s along the coast, said Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
“We’re not looking at temperatures like we’ve seen in some previous summers, where we’ve gotten to 120 degrees, but it’s certainly looking like 5 to 10 degrees above normal,” Wofford said.
Downtown Los Angeles could experience temperatures in the mid-90s by the middle of next week. Woodland Hills is forecast to get up to about 107 degrees and Burbank could get up to about 100 degrees, according to the weather service.
Over the last few weeks, a persistent low-pressure system has been lingering in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, keeping temperatures cooler across much of California. But next week, a high-pressure system will expand from New Mexico and Arizona toward the West Coast, bringing a significant warm-up.
“We definitely had a pretty quiet July,” Wofford said. “We had some warm temperatures in June there for a bit, but July was pretty blah in terms of temperatures.”
Widespread strong winds are not expected to accompany next week’s warm-up, reducing the risk of serious fire weather conditions, Wofford said.
But it’s still early in the fire season, experts warn. With heat waves likely continuing through the rest of the summer, drying out brush, and later fall winds kicking up, it could make for dangerous conditions in the coming months.
As temperatures rise, officials caution the public to stay hydrated, avoid strenuous outdoor activities and check on those who are vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.
On Wednesday, a 21-year-old hiker collapsed from possible heat stroke while hiking on a trail near Lake Berryessa. Another six hikers were also suffering from heat-related illness and had to be rescued, according to the Vacaville Fire District.
“Take HEAT seriously,” the fire district warned in a post on Instagram. “This could have been deadly.”
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