A heat wave gripped Southern California on Friday, with one Ventura County community hitting the highest temperature reading since record-keeping began.

A weather station near Camarillo Airport recorded 108 degrees, breaking the all-time high of 103 recorded on Sept. 23, 1978. Elsewhere, triple-digit readings were recorded in Long Beach as well as various valley locations.

In downtown L.A. and Long Beach, the heat could reach 99 degrees and in Woodland Hills, the National Weather Service predicts it could top out at 105 degrees, nearing the daily record of 107 degrees set in 1971, said weather specialist Stuart Seto.

“It’s going to be low humidity, so there’s some elevated fire weather concerns,” Seto said.


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For Angelenos looking for relief, head to high ground, Seto suggested. It will be 90 degrees at the beaches with dangerous waves and strong rip currents warding off swimmers, but in Big Bear and around Mt. Wilson, temperatures should remain comfortably in the low 80s.

“Lots of sunshine with a little bit of high clouds. Now would be a good time to see the mountains again,” Seto said.

The heat is expected to gradually drop over the next week, making way for a rainstorm that’s expected to soak Southern California from Wednesday to Friday, Seto said.


For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.

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