The Fourth of July will be warm and sunny, with an even hotter weekend in store, as temperatures are expected to soar into the triple digits in some areas amid a heatwave making its way across Southern California and other parts of the state.
By Wednesday, a high-pressure system already had settled over the region, with temperatures in the Inland Empire reaching exceeding 100 degrees, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Moede.
A heat advisory was issued in San Bernardino County on Wednesday, with cities including Upland and Ontario reaching into the mid to high 90s. By Friday, those temperatures are expected to climb up to as high as 102 before a slight cooldown heading into Sunday.
Excessive heat watches and warnings have been issued across Southern California and other parts of the country.
“The summer heat can be dangerous, and everyone should take the right steps to stay safe,” San Bernardino County health officer Michael Sequeira said in a news release.
“Heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be very serious,” Sequeira said. “By keeping cool, drinking plenty of water, and staying informed, we can protect ourselves and those we care about.”
The warm, dry conditions also have spurred concerns for additional brush fires.
“Since mid-June we’ve seen a rapid drop-off and drying of moisture despite a very wet winter,” said NWS meteorologist Alex Tardy. “And now conditions of our fuel and vegetation are feeling this heat and are dropping below average and even near record lows.”
“So fire weather conditions are definitely elevated and this is concerning over a holiday weekend,” he said.
Riverside County cities including Hemet had already reached 100 on Wednesday, Moede said, and was expected to climb to around 105 to 107 on Friday and Saturday.
And while evenings will be cooler, it’s all relative. Overnight lows in the Inland Empire will be in the 70s.
There may be new daily records for high temperatures…
Read the full article here
