Record Heat Hits County on Heels of Stormy Night

Record-breaking temperatures hit San Diego County on the heels of stormy summer weather Monday when the highest temperature of the year at Lindbergh Field followed light showers and lightning in the summer’s first heat wave.

It was the hottest day at county beaches this year, where lifeguards estimated more than 105,000 people lounged on the sand and cooled in the surf Monday.

Lifeguards said weekend crowds had rivaled those during holiday weekends--about 250,000 people fled to the shore Sunday.

National Weather Service forecasters said a high-pressure system in the Four Corners area of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico pulled the moist, hot air up from Mexico during the weekend. Forecaster Harvey Hastrup said the unstable air yielded perfect conditions for thunderstorm activity.

The turbulent weather began Sunday night when a low-pressure system drifted through the county and triggered scattered showers throughout the county, forecaster Hastrup said. Lightning started two small brush fires in the Ramona area about 3 a.m. Monday, the California Department of Forestry reported.

Small amounts of rain were measured in Santee, Point Loma, Campo, Mt. Laguna and Poway. Julian reportedly received more than two inches of rain Sunday night and Monday, and other areas reported traces of rain.

Forecaster Wilbur Shigehara said partly cloudy skies will continue today with a 10% chance of rain countywide.

The sultry weather should continue with highs in the 90s again today, Shigehara said. Slight cooling is not expected before Wednesday.

The high of 90 at Lindbergh Field on Monday eclipsed the record of 89 set on the same date in 1890. It was also the highest temperature recorded this year at the airport. The normal temperature for Aug. 18 is 78 degrees.

Unlike most summer days in San Diego, the temperatures did not vary widely throughout the county Monday. It was uniformly warm from the coast to the mountains and deserts.

It reached 99 degrees at Miramar Naval Air Station and Borrego Springs; 98 degrees in Escondido and Fallbrook; 96 degrees in La Mesa, Lemon Grove, Ramona and Spring Valley; 93 in National City; 91 in Coronado, and 90 in Chula Vista.

Breezes helped keep temperatures down to 74 in Oceanside and to 78 in Del Mar.

Shigehara calculated the effect of the combined humidity and heat on his heat index and cautioned people against heat exhaustion. According to his index, it felt like it was 90 to 100 degrees at the coast and 97 to 110 degrees inland.

Electricity use was up, as overworked air conditioners and refrigerators pushed consumption toward the record.

San Diego Gas & Electric spokesman David Kusumoto said peak usage was 2,293 megawatts of electricity Monday--just 49 megawatts short of the record set Sept. 5, 1984.

He said the heat may also have been responsible for a power outage in National City about noon Monday. About 3,200 customers were affected and 60 stores at Plaza Bonita shopping mall turned away customers for more than an hour when the power stopped about 12:15 p.m. Plaza manager Robert Sanchez said many customers went home, but 74 stores remained open.

Shigehara said the excessive heat will continue today, but temperatures should begin to return to normal by the end of the week.

Unhealthful smog levels were measured in Oceanside and Alpine on Monday, and the poor air quality is expected to continue in both areas today, the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District reported.