Heat Is Back and Advisory Is Issued

Hot weather returned to the Southland with a vengeance Tuesday, pushing up the mercury to 109 degrees in Los Angeles County’s frequent hot spot, the San Fernando Valley community of Woodland Hills.

Fortunately for those weary of summer’s heat, the National Weather Service predicted that temperatures would edge down today and fall noticeably by Friday, when the high in Woodland Hills is expected to be 98 degrees.

The temperature in downtown Los Angeles peaked Tuesday at 90. That was a jump from the 84-degree high Monday and the hottest weather in the city’s hub since July 28, when the high also was 90. But by Friday, downtown’s high should drop back to 83 degrees, the weather service said -- which is about normal for this time of year.

This is all a far cry from the county record high of 119 set in Woodland Hills in July. All the same, “It’s still hot,” said Stuart Seto, a specialist at the weather service office in Oxnard.

For those eager for fall weather, he counseled patience.

Although the weather service didn’t sound any alarm over the heat, Los Angeles County officials issued an “extreme heat advisory.”

Jonathan Fielding, acting public health director and county health officer, said the combination of high temperatures and poor air quality in valley areas means that people with heart disease, asthma or other respiratory problems should stay inside as much as possible.

Fielding urged those who need to be outdoors to take precautions, such as drinking water often, wearing light, loose-fitting clothing and avoiding unnecessary exertion and sun exposure.