Record Highs Continue Throughout Inland Region in Extended Heat Wave

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - Riverside County is in the grips of a record-setting
heat wave today as an unseasonable extended hot spell blanketed Southern
California.
  

``Daily record highs will be broken in several locations,'' said the
National Weather Service. ``A return of onshore flow will bring some cooling to
the coastal basin over the weekend, but temps will remain above average
nonetheless.
  

The mercury will soar across the Inland Empire over the next week,
setting records and prompting officials to caution against strenuous outdoor
activity during the hottest periods.
  

``Drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned rooms and stay out
of the sun (during peak heat),'' the agency said.
  

Riverside County officials did not anticipate opening cooling centers
during the heat surge this week because it was not forecast to continue for
multiple consecutive days. However, after a pause in the sizzle this weekend,
another round of record-breaking heat was expected next week.
  

Saturday high temperatures will be 82 to 88 in the valleys and Inland
Empire, 73 to 83 in the mountains and 94 to 97 in the Coachella Valley.
Southwest winds of up to 15 mph, with gusts up to 30 mph are expected in the
afternoon.
  

``High temperatures on Tuesday will be as much as 25 to 30 degrees
above average for the mountains, inland valleys and high desert, with high
temperatures ranging from around 80 near the coast to the mid 90s to 102 for
the inland valleys, with the lower deserts reaching 102 to 106,'' according to
the Weather Service. ``Some locations in the lower deserts could exceed their
all-time record high temperatures for March.''
  

Forecasters as well as charts published at aviationweather.gov
indicated high pressure patterns will largely dominate the climate over
California and neighboring states for at least the next seven days. The ridges
will blow moisture out of the inland region, likely knocking humidity levels
down to the single digits.
  

From Sunday to Wednesday, daytime temps will jump back into the mid-
to upper-90s, with lows generally in the upper-50s or low 60s.
  

By comparison, during the same time last year, the area highs peaked
in the upper 50s to low 60s, according to temperature charts.
  

For the Coachella Valley, elevated temps will be summer-like through
the weekend and into the middle of next week, holding in the upper 90s and
likely rising into the triple digits by Monday, with lows in the low to mid
70s, forecasters said.
  

In the Temecula Valley, the temperature band will be almost identical
to the Riverside area through next week, daytime temps will be two to three
degrees cooler, with lows in the low to mid 50s.
  

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