A scorching heat wave that has parched parts of Southern California with triple-digit temperatures during the day and relentless heat at night shows no signs of letting up.
Temperatures did not fall below 95 degrees overnight in some areas of the Santa Monica Mountains. In Simi Valley, temperatures remained in the low to high 90s after dark, and across much of Los Angeles County, temperatures remained in the low to high 90s, according to the National Weather Service.
Although high nighttime temperatures are not uncommon during heat waves this time of year, they can prove uncomfortable, says Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
“What’s happening is that our marine layer is being pushed so low that the really warm and dry layer that we have above the marine layer is now getting into the populated areas instead of being way up in the mountains,” he said. “At this time of year, when we have these heat waves, these high nighttime temperatures are pretty normal.”
Read more: Southern California is suffering from a severe heat wave. When will it end?
The high temperatures in Southern California are not unique to this region. International climate experts have confirmed that the summer of 2024 was the hottest summer on record. The global average temperature in June, July and August was a record-breaking 62.24 degrees, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
On Friday, scorching temperatures are expected again in some parts of Los Angeles County – and even hotter than Thursday.
Temperatures in downtown Los Angeles and at Long Beach Airport are expected to reach 40 degrees, and at Los Angeles International Airport 34 degrees. In Pasadena and Burbank, temperatures will reach 41.5 degrees and 46.5 degrees, respectively. Woodland Hills is expected to reach 48.6 degrees, Kittell said.
“It’s not a sure thing, but I expect one or two records to be broken today,” Kittell said.
On Thursday, the mercury climbed to 121 degrees in Indio, California, beating the daily record of 120 degrees set during a similar heat wave in 2020. Burbank Airport tied the all-time temperature record of 114 degrees, set in 2018 and 2020.
The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for much of Los Angeles County, warning residents of dangerously hot conditions with temperatures reaching 46 degrees Celsius and lows between 21 and 25 degrees Celsius overnight from Monday to Sunday.
“There is a high risk of dangerous heat illness for everyone, especially the very young and the very old, those without air conditioning, and those who are active outdoors,” the weather service said.
Read more: Southern California’s worst heat wave will hit in the next few days: What you should know
Temperatures are forecast to reach triple digits over the weekend, and a significant cooling will likely not be felt until Wednesday, when temperatures in Los Angeles and surrounding areas are expected to drop to between 80 and 87 degrees Fahrenheit.
The weather service has also issued a wildfire warning for the Santa Monica Mountains, the Santa Susana Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains, warning of a high fire danger due to the persistent heat.
The line fireThe fire that broke out in San Bernardino County around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday and required evacuations continued to burn Friday morning, spreading to more than 200 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Firefighters rushed to evacuate residents in the town of Highland overnight as flames raced toward homes. No damage was reported and the fire is not under control. Temperatures in Highland are expected to reach 46 degrees.
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
