Heat Will Linger for a While

The second day of a summer heat wave scorched Southern California on Friday, breaking records and testing the thermometer’s limits as temperatures soared into the triple digits in the region’s valley and mountain communities.

Searing temperatures may also have contributed to the death of a Lakewood woman, whose body was found Friday near a call box on Interstate 40 in San Bernardino County, about seven miles east of the desert community of Ludlow, authorities said. The body of Patricia J. Vangaston, 65, was discovered not far from her car by a California Highway Patrol officer.

The cause of death was not known, but there were no signs of trauma or criminal activity, police said. An autopsy was pending. Temperatures in the area reached 120 degrees Friday.

Forecasters say that a massive upper-level high pressure system camped out over southern Nevada is to blame for the heat. Air sinks under the high pressure system, “and heats it up real good, assuming you like it warm,” said Mark House, a meteorologist with WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times.

The system is expected to keep things almost intolerably hot for at least a few more days.

“This is going to continue through the weekend at least,” House said. “There’s some hope for cooling sea breezes, but those didn’t show up today.”

Temperatures should slowly return to warm, but more seasonable, levels next week, declining to about 91 degrees, the downtown high Monday. That’s still hot, but well below the record high of 98 reached downtown Friday, the hottest temperature for the date in 73 years.

But that was cooler than the temperatures in some other cities. Palmdale burned at 108 degrees. San Bernardino came in at 103. Van Nuys and a handful of other San Fernando Valley cities hovered around 101.

Pasadena topped off at 100 degrees, which was fine with Allen Rosanfky, who owns the Baskin Robbins ice cream shop on Foothill Boulevard.

“Business is gangbusters,” Rosanfky said. “We’re seeing about 50% more people in here than normal.”

Rosanfky doubled his staff to handle the larger crowds clamoring for shakes, frozen cappuccino drinks and anything else that could help them cool off. Business has been so good, Rosanfky said, that this July is shaping up as the best month he has seen at the store in the 22 years he has owned it.

The hot summer months are a busy season as well for firefighters and health officials.

Although low winds have kept fire danger at acceptable levels in recent days, the heat is drying out brush and creating ideal fire conditions for later in the summer, said Los Angeles City Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells.

The heat is causing immediate concern for health officials who are worried that the Southland will fall victim to a series of heat-related illnesses and deaths, much like Texas has in recent weeks.

To reduce the danger here, the Los Angeles Department of Aging has established a temporary hotline for senior citizens with questions about the heat wave and ways to cope. The hotline number is (800) 339-6993.

Associated Press contributed to this story.