Sweltering heat wave will hit Southern California this week with highs reaching 113 degrees
Dangerously hot temperatures are expected in a heat wave hitting Southern California this week, with some highs well into the triple digits — including a forecast of 113 degrees in Woodland Hills.
Across a wide stretch of the region — from Paso Robles in San Luis Obispo County down to Long Beach in LA — an excessive heat warning will be in place from 11 a.m. Wednesday through 8 p.m. Friday. The National Weather Service is warning of "dangerously hot conditions" following Labor Day, with a heat wave starting Tuesday and peaking on Thursday and Friday.
As the heat keeps getting stronger through the week, the San Fernando Valley will face an especially sweltering few days as high temperatures in Woodland Hills are expected to reach up to 113 degrees Thursday and 111 degrees on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
In the city of LA, highs were in the low 90s on Monday. But on Thursday, they are forecasted to reach 97 degrees.
The hot weather, along with breezy winds and dry conditions, are also expected to increase the risk of potential wildfires.
The coast of Southern California will see cooler conditions, as usual, while mountain areas and the Valleys see some triple-digit temperatures. The excessive heat warning will remain in effect through the end of the week, given potential weather-related risks.
"The homeless, elderly, children, and those with health issues are at the highest risk for heat illness," the National Weather Service (NWS) warns. "Daytime highs between 95 to 105 will become common away from the coast."
"Warm overnight low temperatures will bring little relief from the heat," NWS states.
Some other individuals at especially high risk are pregnant women, newborn babies, and those with chronic illnesses, according to the National Weather Service, which advises drinking plenty of water and using air conditioning when possible.
However, NWS has also said temperatures may not reach as high as some projections. For instance, Woodland Hills could end up seeing a high of 107 degrees on Thursday and 106 on Friday rather than temperatures exceeding 110 degrees.
Meanwhile, further south in SoCal, NWS has issued an excessive heat watch spanning across parts of the Inland Empire and Orange and San Diego counties. This sort of weather warning is a little different from an excessive heat warning.
While an excessive heat warning projects "extremely dangerous heat conditions" in the next 12 hours, an excessive heat watch is issued when conditions are just looking like they may lead to some especially strong heat in the next 24 to 72 hours, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
In San Bernardino County, NWS is warning of "dangerously hot conditions" with temperatures in the upper 90s to 105 possible in Apple and Lucerne Valleys. Those conditions are expected to remain from Wednesday morning through Friday night.
Some areas of Riverside County are expected to see similar weather, with Thursday forecasted to be the hottest day of the week.
Overall, high temperatures are across an area of SoCal stretching from Orange County down to San Diego County are forecasted to be about 10 to 15 degrees above average this week.
