Whew! Forecasters Predict Cooler Days

The heat and humidity that steamed Orange County on Tuesday will start to fade today, and the slide toward cooler temperatures will continue through the weekend, forecasters said.

Highs will reach only the low to mid-80s, compared with Tuesday’s high of 91 in Santa Ana--just a bit shy of the 96-degree record set in 1986, said John Sherwin, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

A dying hurricane 250 miles away was responsible for the heat and a slight threat of rain.

The low pressure created offshore by Ignacio, now a tropical storm, kept ocean winds from cooling Orange County, and instead drew warmer air from the southeast through the area, Sherwin said.

What little rain Ignacio’s tendrils carried fell on the San Francisco Bay Area on Tuesday morning. Though it was humid and cloudy in Southern California, Sherwin said, “the rain was evaporating before it hit the ground. The best moisture stayed offshore.”

Ignacio also kicked up waves along Orange County beaches, Sherwin said.

Lt. John Blauer of the Newport Beach Fire and Marine Department said lifeguards expected to make about 150 rescues by nightfall Tuesday--double the previous day’s total.

The high temperatures drove scores of people to the beach, but once there swimmers had trouble with the strong current and with waves reaching 7 to 8 feet at times, Blauer said.

Lifeguards in San Clemente and Laguna Beach also said they were unusually busy, but none reported any life-threatening injuries.