Local : Temperature Hits 101 on the Third Day of Record-Setting Heat Spell
The mercury shot up to record highs in Los Angeles today for the third consecutive day, and thousands fled to the beach but found only a sandy furnace.
By 1 p.m. the temperature was 101 degrees downtown, breaking the April 6 record of 91 set in 1932 and tied in 1962.
The National Weather Service predicted Los Angeles’ Civic Center would end the day with a high of 102. The overnight temperature at the Civic Center fell only to 73 this morning.
By 1 p.m., the mercury hit 97 in Burbank and Van Nuys. It was 101 in Santa Monica and 102 at Los Angeles International Airport. About 25,000 people were already gathered on Santa Monica beach by mid-morning, lifeguard Randy DeGregori said.
The spring heat wave was spawned by a high pressure system expected to linger over the West for several more days, forecaster Michael Lewis said.
Temperatures in Los Angeles and its suburbs Wednesday were higher than other world hot spots, including Bangkok’s 95, Cairo’s 86, Havana’s 87, Manila’s 93, Rio’s 90 and New Delhi’s 88.
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