Humidity and warm temperatures are in the Southern California forecast into the weekend before a slight cooldown next week.
Southern California has been in the grip of an extended period of extreme heat, but heat-related weather alerts will expire Friday night with temperatures dropping closer to normal by Tuesday. Expect dangerously hot conditions with a chance of mountain and desert thunderstorms through the weekend.
High temperatures on Thursday reached 98 degrees in Van Nuys, 94 in Burbank and Fullerton, 93 in Santa Ana and 91 in downtown Los Angeles, continuing a run of above-normal temperatures for Southern California.
Extreme heat warnings remain in effect through 8 p.m. Friday across much of Los Angeles County.
“It’s the hottest day over the next seven days,” said NBC4 meteorologist Shanna Mendiola. “Into the weekend, we start to cool temperatures down, back down to the 80s. Then, average highs return to your forecast early next week.”
A look at the weekend forecast.
In Orange County, extreme heat warnings will remain in effect through 8 p.m. Friday for the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills and inland areas including Santa Ana, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Fullerton and Irvine. A less severe heat advisory will be in effect in Orange County coastal areas.
Tropical moisture, associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Iselle, will also bring a chance of showers and thunderstorms through Friday. A trough to the northwest will interact with the tropical moisture and enhance thunderstorm chances, although the greatest likelihood will be north of Los Angeles County. Chances generally decrease farther south.
Isolated showers or thunderstorms will remain possible in Los Angeles County, with any storms capable of producing cloud-to-ground lightning and erratic winds.
The threat will coincide with already elevated wildfire danger in parts of Los Angeles County. Red flag warnings will remain in effect until 3 p.m. Friday for the San Gabriel Mountains and areas along the 5 and 14 freeways.
The tropical moisture is expected to move out of the region Friday night, clearing the way for a slightly cooler and drier weekend.
Temperatures will begin falling Saturday, with more substantial cooling expected Sunday as temperatures drop below normal. Marine layer clouds are also expected to return to coastal areas.
Monday is expected to remain relatively quiet with below-normal temperatures and coastal low clouds.
Another potential influx of tropical moisture arrives next week. A disturbance developing off the Baja California coast is expected to become a tropical storm, and about half of forecast projections show some of its moisture reaching Southern California between Tuesday and Thursday.
City News Service contributed to this report.