A heat wave settling over Southern California this week could break records from the coast to the mountains while the potential for thunderstorms may increase the risk of dry lightning sparking a fast-growing wildfire, the National Weather Service said Wednesday.

The heat wave is expected to peak between Friday and Saturday, when it could approach 120 degrees in the Coachella Valley and 112 in Woodland Hills, forecasters said. Burbank, its neighboring cities and communities on either side of the San Bernardino Mountains can also expect to bake in triple-digit heat from Thursday through the weekend, said Stuart Seto, a National Weather Service specialist.

“This is really dangerous heat. People need to be taking extreme precautions,” Seto said.

Seto added that the National Weather Service’s temperature measurements are taken in the shade, meaning that it will be even hotter in direct sunlight.


1 / 46 The remains of a structure and boats scorched by the Whittier fire sit along State Route 154 in the Los Padres National Forest near Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 46 The Whittier fire burns toward State Route 154 on Sunday in the Los Padres National Forest near Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 46 Hundreds of people seek relief from the hot weather in the surf Sunday along the Santa Monica Pier. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 46 Hundreds of people seek relief from the hot weather Sunday near the Santa Monica Pier. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 46 A young girl tries to outrun the hot sand near Arlington West Santa Monica memorial on the north side of the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 46 Hazmat workers inspect a storm drain after a Saturday night’s explosion at a Department of Water and Power station in Northridge. Thousands of gallons of mineral oil, a coolant, were sent down drains as firefighters used water to douse a burning transformer. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 46 A man wipes his face in front of his home on Logan Street in Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 46 A woman shields herself from the hot sun in 91 degree weather in Chinatown. (Christina House / For The Times) 9 / 46 Jacob Martinez, 8, of Anaheim, waits for the water to turn on after a brief break to cool off in the spray pool at Lemon Park in Fullerton, (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 46 The Whittier Fire burns on the north side of the Santa Inez Mountains near Goleta. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 46 A hot spot burns ahead of the Alamo fire near Santa Maria on Saturday, July 8, 2017. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 46 Firefighters look on as a helicopter drops water on the Alamo fire near Santa Maria on Saturday, July 8, 2017. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 46 A firefighter maneuvers his vehicle down a private road as the Alamo fire burns near Santa Maria on Saturday, July 8, 2017. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 46 Johnny Lewis, left, and his friend of over 50 years Earl Jackson, right, find refuge in the shade of an abadoned restaurant on Vermont and 54th in Los Angeles on Friday, during the region’s latest heat wave. (Christina House / For The Times) 15 / 46 People brave record 110-degree temperature Friday while walking to work in West Hills in the San Fernando Valley. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 46 A visitor to Angels Gate Park in San Pedro watches the setting sun against a fiery sky at the end of a hot day in Southern California. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 46 Melissa Garcia, 6, cools off in the Reseda Park pool in the San Fernando Valley on Friday afternoon. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 46 Maricruz Garista, 17, cools off during a break from carp fishing with relatives at the Los Angeles River. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 46 People cool off in the spray pool at Lemon Park in Fullerton. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 46 The crowd waits for the water to return after a brief break in the spray pool at Fullerton’s Lemon Park. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 46 Kids cool off in the spray pool at Fullerton’s Lemon Park. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 46 A woman shields herself from the hot sun in 91 degree weather in Chinatown. (Christina House / For the Times) 23 / 46 In Chinatown, pedestrians use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun in 91 degree weather on Friday. (Christina House / For the Times) 24 / 46 Jocelyn Caravantes, 3, left, and her brother Dean, 6, play in their Boyle Heights pool on a hot afternoon while their mother, Evelyn, watches from a chair in the shade. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 46 Swimmers dive from a pier at Kings Beach in Lake Tahoe, where temperature are expected in the mid 80’s today. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 46 Darin Yoon, 12, endures the late afternoon sun as he sits with his father, John, at Dodger Stadium to watch the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks game. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 46 Daniel Garcia rides around the Rose Bowl Loop Trail on a hot day in the Southland with temperatures expected to reach triple digits on Friday. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 46 Anthony Garcia, 7, cools off at the splash pad at Rio de Los Angeles State Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 46 Firefighters extinguish a brush fire at Buena Vista Meadow in Elysian Park in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 46 Maribel Vasquez cleans reserved level seats in the hot afternoon sunshine hours before the Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks game at Dodger Stadium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 46 A concertgoer prepares his spot for a free concert at Eastgate Park in Garden Grove. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 46 Josh Peralta plays in water splashing in a fountain in Cathedral City, where temperature reached 118 degrees. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 46 Tina Robinson, left, and Eric Johns of Chicago beat the heat by walking under a cool mist and sipping colds drink in Palm Springs. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 46 Moises Lopez takes a water break from landscaping a San Gabriel Mission school to stay hydrated. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 46 Lincoln watches over pet owner Michelle Virney while she takes a nap to cool off in Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 46 Surfers set a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records for the largest paddle-out on International Surfing Day. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 46 Surfers line up before attempting to set a mark recognized by the Guinness World Records for the largest paddle-out, forming the Surfing Circle of Honor on International Surfing Day. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 46 Umbrellas are required equipment while walking around Vincent Lugo Park as temperatures rise during the latest heat wave. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 46 To beat the heat, Lily Lin leads an early morning Tai Chi class at Vincent Lugo Park in San Gabriel. (Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 46 From left, Aaron Stevens, 11, Alida Stevens, 4, and Brian Botts, 9, wave down customers as they sale refreshments on a hot summer day in Van Nuys. “We want to help people hydrate while helping ourselves,” Aaron Stevens said. (Christian K. Lee / Los Angeles Times) 41 / 46 Brian Botts, left, and Aaron Stevens, right, prepare a cup of Kool-Aid for Carlos Zepeda in Van Nuys. (Christian K. Lee / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 46 Tawny Auer joins her sons Shane, left, and Carter to cool off in a pool at the aquatic center in Palm Desert, where temperature reached 115 degrees. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 46 Adrian Rosales cools off at the spray pool at Lemon Park in Fullerton. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times ) 44 / 46 Children splash in water from the spray pool at Lemon Park in Fullerton. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times ) 45 / 46 Boaters relax on Big Bear Lake as a giant plume from the Holcomb fire burns nearby in rugged terrain in the San Bernardino National Forest. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 46 Luigi, a thirsty pit bull, cools down at Genesee Avenue Park in Los Angeles. (Christian K. Lee / Los Angeles Times)

The scorching weather is part of a system commonly referred to as the “Four Corners high,” a high-pressure system that settles over the desert Southwest near the Four Corners and spreads smothering heat from California to Nevada and as far east as central Texas. The Four Corners is the area where Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado meet.

The heat wave will broil communities from San Luis Obispo County to the Santa Monica Mountains and reach inland, where thunderstorms over the San Bernardino Mountains could bring dry lightning strikes and fire.

“Sundowner” winds unique to the Coast Range could push any small blaze deep into unpassable, rugged terrain around San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, Seto said.


Monsoonal moisture moving up from Mexico will add humidity to the mix, making the conditions even more miserable and preventing the region from significantly cooling overnight, Seto said.

Though parts of Los Angeles were under a heat advisory Wednesday, the mercury will really begin to rise closer to the weekend, Seto said.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

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