Heat Warning Enters Fourth Day as Forecasters Point to Weekend Relief

The Extreme Heat Warning covering Orange County's coastal areas remains in effect through 8 p.m. PDT Thursday, the National Weather Service's San Diego office said in a 3:19 a.m. Monday update. The warning zone, which includes Laguna Beach, calls for dangerously hot conditions: mid 80s to lower 90s at the beaches and mid to upper 90s near higher coastal terrain, with very warm nights and lows in the lower to mid 70s.

Inland Orange County faces the region's hottest readings, with highs in the upper 90s to 103, while the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills are forecast for highs in the 90s and nights in the upper 60s to mid 70s, the Weather Service said.

An aerial view of the Aliso Creek canyon country between Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel; inland areas face the hottest readings of the warning, up to 103 degrees.

formulanone, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Source

The warning, which began Friday, Oct. 2, is in its fourth day. Reporting on the event notes the first peak arrived over the weekend of Oct. 3 and 4, with highs up to 102 degrees in parts of Southern California, and that very hot temperatures are likely to continue into the second week of October, possibly requiring an extension of the warning.

Some relief is on the horizon. Forecast analysis points to offshore winds and persistent high pressure continuing through the week, with gradual cooling expected to begin around Friday, Oct. 9, and an upper-level trough bringing tropical moisture that could lower temperatures further over the weekend of Oct. 10 and 11.

"Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors," the Weather Service urged. "Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes."

Aliso Beach under clear skies; overnight lows in the 70s mean little relief after sunset.

Alexander Ardatov, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · Source

Gusty winds combined with low humidity also raise the risk of wildfires, and smoke from any new fires could quickly worsen local air quality. Residents should know where their local cooling centers are and be ready for possible power outages, forecast reporting notes.

The hot stretch lands on a full week of outdoor activity. The 28th Annual Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational runs through Sunday, Oct. 11, with 30 master painters working the coastline outdoors all week, according to the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association's announcement.