First day of heat wave brings record temperatures to Southern California
The first day of a punishing heat wave brought new high temperature records to the Los Angeles area.
Woodland Hills reached 112 degrees, breaking the previous daily record of 111 degrees set on Aug. 31, 1998, according to the National Weather Service office in Oxnard.
The temperature could continue climbing “and probably isn’t done yet,” meteorologists said.
Burbank’s high of 112 broke the previous daily record of 108 degrees set in 2017, and Sandberg reached 100 degrees, exceeding the previous high of 98 degrees, also in 2017, the weather service said.
State officials are asking Californians to voluntarily limit electricity use Wednesday from 4 to 9 p.m. as the year’s worst heat wave begins. Temperatures in the 100s are expected across large swaths of the state through Tuesday.
Lancaster’s high of 109 degrees is tied for the daily record set in 1948, meteorologists said.
The weather service’s San Diego forecast office also reported three high temperature records that were tied or broken.
Idyllwild reached 96 degrees, breaking the previous record of 94 set in 2017, the weather service said.
Campo, a small community southeast of San Diego near the U.S.-Mexico border, reached 105 degrees, tying the daily record set in 1998, meteorologists said.
Anaheim’s high of 106 degrees broke the previous record of 102 degrees set in 2007, the weather service said.
Wednesday’s high also broke Anaheim’s all-time monthly high temperature record for August. The city’s previous record high, 105 degrees, was set Aug. 18, 2020.
Forecasters say the Antelope Valley could see temperatures as high as 113 degrees during the ongoing heat wave.
The scorching, triple-digit heat kicked off what forecasters warned will be a brutal weeklong stretch continuing through Labor Day weekend and into Tuesday.
Scientists say climate change is worsening the effects of a “heat dome,” which typically brings broiling conditions to the state as summer fades into fall, and making it more lethal for people who cannot seek relief.
“The excessively long-duration heat wave remains on target,” forecasters with the weather service in Oxnard wrote Wednesday afternoon. “All the excessive heat warnings went into effect today and will go through Monday.”
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