Another L.A. Record Melts : Heat: Temperature of 98 at Civic Center sets fourth mark in five days.

The mercury returned to its record-breaking ways at the Civic Center in Downtown Los Angeles on Monday, setting a new high temperature mark for the fourth time in five days.

The 98 degrees registered Downtown topped the mark of 96 set in 1885, and triple-digit temperatures hit several locations in Southern California. Van Nuys and Ontario registered 100 and Newhall reached 101, while the heat topped out at 102 in Riverside, 104 in Lancaster and 107 in Palmdale.

Forecasters suggested that the best chance of any real relief would probably be at the ocean. Nearly 500,000 people took them at their word and headed for county beaches.

A slight cooling trend is scheduled to develop today--if a high of 95 can be considered cooling. On Wednesday, the Civic Center high is expected to drop to 92.

Along the coast, highs will range from the mid-70s to the mid-80s today and Wednesday, but the high in Pasadena and Canoga Park should reach 101, forecasters said.

“By the weekend, we could have temperatures back in the 80s Downtown,” said Curtis Brack, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times. “A fairly strong high-pressure system centered over California will gradually weaken over the next several days, allowing a shallow marine layer to develop.”

A triple-digit high had been predicted at the Civic Center on Sunday, but the mercury peaked at 95, two degrees short of the record for the date.