Countywide : Cooling Off at the Beaches a Hot Idea as Summer Weather Arrives

Furnace-like temperatures, expected to continue through most of the week, drove tens of thousands of Orange County residents to the beaches Sunday, creating what lifeguards described as the season’s biggest day so far.

“Summer has begun,” said Patrick Graham, a lifeguard at Huntington Beach, which reported about 80,000 visitors.

Chris Corbo, a lifeguard at Laguna Beach, where an estimated 25,000 beach-goers spent the day, agreed.

“It was one of our bigger days,” he said. “It was really nice; we had a foggy morning, but then it burned off by 12:30.”

Highs ranged from 90 degrees in Anaheim to 68 in Newport Beach, according to Harry Woolford, a meteorologist at WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times. Other temperatures included 88 in Santa Ana and Fullerton, 87 in El Toro and 76 in Dana Point.

“It was pretty hot,” said Woolford, attributing the lower temperatures near the coast to a slight ocean breeze.

Despite registering the lowest temperature, Newport Beach reported the highest turnout on the sand: about 110,000 people. Attendance at other beaches included 65,000 at Huntington Beach State Park, 10,000 in San Clemente and 8,000 at Seal Beach.

The high temperatures were expected to continue through today and Tuesday, Woolford said, with some moderation beginning Wednesday and significant cooling on Thursday.