Cooler, yet still record-setting temperatures expected as L.A. heat wave lingers

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Sunrises over Santa Fe Dam on Wednesday morning as October heat wave continues across Southern California.

(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

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A surfer catches a wind-swept wave amid 104-degree temperatures in Huntington Beach on Tuesday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Jim Dodd of Huntington Beach relaxes in the shade under the Huntington Beach Pier as a surfer heads across the beach after riding large Santa Ana wind-swept waves amid 104-degree temperatures in Huntington Beach on Tuesday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Chris Waring of Seal Beach rides a Santa Ana wind-swept wave with his son, Noah Waring, amid 104-degree temperatures in Huntington Beach on Tuesday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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A woman uses a towel for shade while relaxing at the Huntington Beach Pier.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Otis Jewell-Busche, 2, of Atwater Village cools off in Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Johnny Griffin of Long Beach takes in the cool ocean breeze while playing guitar next to the Seal Beach Pier.

(Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

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Nova Burrows, 7, cools off in a fountain in downtown L.A.’s Grand Park.

(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles city and county firefighters work to put out a brush fire at the Hansen Dam Recreation Area in Pacoima.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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Los Angeles city firefighter Tony Acevedo puts water on a brush fire along the Woodley Ave. exit from the 118 freeway in Granada Hills.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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A pedestrian walking by Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles uses an umbrella for shade during the October heat wave.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

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Tuan Nguyen of Long Beach shoots a video of Tony Tave of Los Angeles performing aerial tricks at Hollenbeck Skate Park in Los Angeles.

(Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

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Magic, a Staffordshire terrier-pitbull mix, cools off in a puddle of water during a visit to Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Firefighters battle a wildfire in Moreno Valley. Officials warn of “the most dangerous fire weather conditions that southwest Cakifrnia has seen” in years.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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A firefighter keeps watch on a wildfire burning behind homes at Poorman’s Reservoir in Moreno Valley.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

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Joseph Neksalyan of Tarzana finds a shady spot to relax during a visit to Sepulveda Basin Off-Leash Dog Park in Encino.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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George Adjikian, 8 months, and his cousin Abraham Daglian, 4 months, prepare to have their photograph taken by their mothers during a visit to the pumpkin patch at Tapia Brothers Farm in Encino.

(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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With the air already warm, a surfer rides a wave at Surfrider Beach in Malibu on Monday morning.

(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

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The hot sun reflects off the water as a surfer walks along Surfrider Beach in Malibu on Monday morning. The heat on Monday and Tuesday is expected to flirt with temperature records in places across California.

(Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times)

By Kate Mather

Oct. 25, 2017 7:35 AM PT

An October heat wave will linger across Southern California on Wednesday as forecasters anticipate another day of record-breaking temperatures slightly lower than the days before.

Wednesday’s highs will run about three to five degrees cooler than Tuesday’s, the National Weather Service said, ushering in a downward trend that is expected to continue later this week. The Santa Ana winds — a source of concern for firefighters as they doused a handful of small brush fires Tuesday — were also expected to gradually weaken.

But it will still be hot.

Temperatures will hover near the triple-digit mark in downtown Los Angeles, Burbank and Woodland Hills, which are expected to top out at 100 degrees, forecasters said. The heat will blanket the region, with expected highs of 97 degrees in Camarillo and 98 in Long Beach.

All would be new records, the National Weather Service said.

Red-flag and excessive-heat warnings will stay in effect until Wednesday evening.

Tuesday’s heat shattered records across the region, with many areas seeing temperatures topple 100 degrees. Downtown L.A.’s high of 104 degrees smashed a century-old record of 99. Other records were set at the Long Beach Airport (105), Burbank Airport (103), Los Angeles International Airport (104) and UCLA (101).

kate.mather@latimes.com

@katemather

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