Southern California Endures Early Heat Wave

Southern California is sweltering under an early-season heat wave that began Thursday, with temperatures soaring 15 to 30 degrees above normal and prompting heat advisories across the region from San Diego County to San Luis Obispo County.

The National Weather Service issued the advisory from 10 a.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday, warning of highs between 90 and 100 degrees in many areas, including coastal zones typically spared such extremes. Inland valleys and parts of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, and Riverside counties faced the hottest conditions, with forecasters predicting widespread records would be broken or tied. In Pasadena, temperatures reached 95 degrees, surpassing the previous mark of 92 set in 2007. Similar spikes occurred in San Gabriel and Burbank at 95 degrees each, topping 2007 records of 93 degrees, while Long Beach hit 94 degrees, eclipsing its 92-degree benchmark from the same year. Even coastal spots like the Santa Monica Pier saw 85 degrees, well above the 78-degree record from 2015.

The heat stems from a persistent high-pressure system trapping warm air, combined with minimal onshore breezes that usually provide relief along the shore. Officials noted that...