A heat wave settling over Southern California this week could break records from the coast to the mountains while the potential for thunderstorms may increase the risk of dry lightning sparking a fast-growing wildfire, the National Weather Service said Wednesday.
The heat wave is expected to peak between Friday and Saturday, when it could approach 120 degrees in the Coachella Valley and 112 in Woodland Hills, forecasters said. Burbank, its neighboring cities and communities on either side of the San Bernardino Mountains can also expect to bake in triple-digit heat from Thursday through the weekend, said Stuart Seto, a National Weather Service specialist.
“This is really dangerous heat. People need to be taking extreme precautions,” Seto said.
Seto added that the National Weather Service’s temperature measurements are taken in the shade, meaning that it will be even hotter in direct sunlight.
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The remains of a structure and boats scorched by the Whittier fire sit along State Route 154 in the Los Padres National Forest near Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County.
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The Whittier fire burns toward State Route 154 on Sunday in the Los Padres National Forest near Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County.
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Hundreds of people seek relief from the hot weather in the surf Sunday along the Santa Monica Pier.
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Hundreds of people seek relief from the hot weather Sunday near the Santa Monica Pier.
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A young girl tries to outrun the hot sand near Arlington West Santa Monica memorial on the north side of the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday.
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Hazmat workers inspect a storm drain after a Saturday night’s explosion at a Department of Water and Power station in Northridge. Thousands of gallons of mineral oil, a coolant, were sent down drains as firefighters used water to douse a burning transformer.
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A man wipes his face in front of his home on Logan Street in Los Angeles.
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A woman shields herself from the hot sun in 91 degree weather in Chinatown.
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Jacob Martinez, 8, of Anaheim, waits for the water to turn on after a brief break to cool off in the spray pool at Lemon Park in Fullerton,
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The Whittier Fire burns on the north side of the Santa Inez Mountains near Goleta.
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A hot spot burns ahead of the Alamo fire near Santa Maria on Saturday, July 8, 2017.
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Firefighters look on as a helicopter drops water on the Alamo fire near Santa Maria on Saturday, July 8, 2017.
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A firefighter maneuvers his vehicle down a private road as the Alamo fire burns near Santa Maria on Saturday, July 8, 2017.
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Johnny Lewis, left, and his friend of over 50 years Earl Jackson, right, find refuge in the shade of an abadoned restaurant on Vermont and 54th in Los Angeles on Friday, during the region’s latest heat wave.
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People brave record 110-degree temperature Friday while walking to work in West Hills in the San Fernando Valley.
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A visitor to Angels Gate Park in San Pedro watches the setting sun against a fiery sky at the end of a hot day in Southern California.
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Melissa Garcia, 6, cools off in the Reseda Park pool in the San Fernando Valley on Friday afternoon.
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Maricruz Garista, 17, cools off during a break from carp fishing with relatives at the Los Angeles River.
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People cool off in the spray pool at Lemon Park in Fullerton.
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The crowd waits for the water to return after a brief break in the spray pool at Fullerton’s Lemon Park.
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Kids cool off in the spray pool at Fullerton’s Lemon Park.
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A woman shields herself from the hot sun in 91 degree weather in Chinatown.
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In Chinatown, pedestrians use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun in 91 degree weather on Friday.
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Jocelyn Caravantes, 3, left, and her brother Dean, 6, play in their Boyle Heights pool on a hot afternoon while their mother, Evelyn, watches from a chair in the shade.
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Swimmers dive from a pier at Kings Beach in Lake Tahoe, where temperature are expected in the mid 80’s today.
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Darin Yoon, 12, endures the late afternoon sun as he sits with his father, John, at Dodger Stadium to watch the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks game.
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Daniel Garcia rides around the Rose Bowl Loop Trail on a hot day in the Southland with temperatures expected to reach triple digits on Friday.
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Anthony Garcia, 7, cools off at the splash pad at Rio de Los Angeles State Park in Los Angeles.
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Firefighters extinguish a brush fire at Buena Vista Meadow in Elysian Park in Los Angeles.
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Maribel Vasquez cleans reserved level seats in the hot afternoon sunshine hours before the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks game at Dodger Stadium.
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A concertgoer prepares his spot for a free concert at Eastgate Park in Garden Grove.
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Josh Peralta plays in water splashing in a fountain in Cathedral City, where temperature reached 118 degrees.
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Tina Robinson, left, and Eric Johns of Chicago beat the heat by walking under a cool mist and sipping colds drink in Palm Springs.
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Moises Lopez takes a water break from landscaping a San Gabriel Mission school to stay hydrated.
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Lincoln watches over pet owner Michelle Virney while she takes a nap to cool off in Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel.
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Surfers set a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records for the largest paddle-out on International Surfing Day.
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Surfers line up before attempting to set a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records for the largest paddle-out, forming the Surfing Circle of Honor on International Surfing Day.
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Umbrellas are required equipment while walking around Vincent Lugo Park as temperatures rise during the latest heat wave.
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To beat the heat, Lily Lin leads an early morning Tai Chi class at Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel.
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From left, Aaron Stevens, 11, Alida Stevens, 4, and Brian Botts, 9, wave down customers as they sale refreshments on a hot summer day in Van Nuys. “We want to help people hydrate while helping ourselves,” Aaron Stevens said.
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Brian Botts, left, and Aaron Stevens, right, prepare a cup of Kool-Aid for Carlos Zepeda in Van Nuys.
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Tawny Auer joins her sons Shane, left, and Carter to cool off in a pool at the aquatic center in Palm Desert, where temperature reached 115 degrees.
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Adrian Rosales cools off at the spray pool at Lemon Park in Fullerton.
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Children splash in water from the spray pool at Lemon Park in Fullerton.
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Boaters relax on Big Bear Lake as a giant plume from the Holcomb fire burns nearby in rugged terrain in the San Bernardino National Forest.
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Luigi, a thirsty pit bull, cools down at Genesee Avenue Park in Los Angeles.
(Christian K. Lee / Los Angeles Times) The scorching weather is part of a system commonly referred to as the “Four Corners high,” a high-pressure system that settles over the desert Southwest near the Four Corners and spreads smothering heat from California to Nevada and as far east as central Texas. The Four Corners is the area where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado meet.
The heat wave will broil communities from San Luis Obispo County to the Santa Monica Mountains and reach inland, where thunderstorms over the San Bernardino Mountains could bring dry lightning strikes and fire.
“Sundowner” winds unique to the Coast Range could push any small blaze deep into unpassable, rugged terrain around San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, Seto said.
Monsoonal moisture moving up from Mexico will add humidity to the mix, making the conditions even more miserable and preventing the region from significantly cooling overnight, Seto said.
Though parts of Los Angeles were under a heat advisory Wednesday, the mercury will really begin to rise closer to the weekend, Seto said.
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