Heat Wave Shatters Records Across Southern California

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A major heat wave is bringing record-breaking temperatures to Southern California.

By 1 p.m., temps in Woodland Hills hit 115 degrees, shattering a record of 106 set in 1976.

Heat records for Burbank, Van Nuys and downtown Los Angeles fell early. Downtown Los Angeles hit 95 degrees before 11 a.m., breaking the previous record of 94 degrees set in 1992.

Excessive heat watches are in effect through all of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Friday's forecast for Malibu is 95 degrees, while the valleys could hit a scorching 117 degrees.

By mid-afternoon, Los Alamitos Race Course canceled the remainder of its daytime racing due to the heat. Nighttime quarter horse racing was still scheduled to go forward at the track in Orange County.

Red flag warnings are also in effect due to the wind, the high heat and low humidity.

"If fire ignition occurs, there could be rapid wildfire spread and large vertical plume growth that would lead to a threat to life and property," a statement from the National Weather Service warned.

Given the high temperatures, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power urged customers to save energy where possible, particularly in the afternoon and early evening when power use is at its highest. Recommended energy saving strategies include adjusting air conditioner thermostats to 78 degrees, reduce power use between 2 to 9 p.m., and limit use of major appliances during peak hours of the day.

People looking for relief from the heat can find it at Los Angeles recreation centers, senior centers, libraries and museums. A list of cooling centers and hours is available online at emergency.lacity.org/heat, or in Spanish at emergency.lacity.org/calor. A full list of locations and operating hours is also available by calling 2-1-1 or checking online at http://lacoa.org/PDF/coolingcenters.pdf.

Other cities have also announced the availability of cooling centers. Malibu officials said the Michael Landon Center at Malibu Bluffs Park, 24250 Pacific Coast Highway, will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday as a cooling center.

The Duarte Senior Center at 1610 Huntington Drive will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Sunday for people looking to cool down. Carson will have about a dozen park locations available during afternoon hours through Sunday as cooling centers, while San Fernando is extending the hours of its cooling centers, which will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. all weekend.

Authorities also encouraged residents to check regularly on neighbors who might be vulnerable to heat illness, including seniors who live alone, people with heart or lung disease and young children. Officials also strongly reminded residents to never leave children or pets unattended inside closed vehicles.

Overall, KCAL9's Evelyn Taft says the area broke four all-time temperature records for the region.

SANTA ANA 114 99 IN 1927 1906
NEWPORT BEACH 83 82 IN 1936 1921
SAN DIEGO 96 83 IN 2014 1875
VISTA 101 90 IN 1998 1957
CHULA VISTA 96 84 IN 2014 1918
RIVERSIDE 118 105 IN 1942 1893
ESCONDIDO 112 102 IN 1940 1893
RAMONA 117 100 IN 2017 1974
ALPINE 109 103 IN 1976 1951
EL CAJON 112 94 IN 2017 1979
PALOMAR MOUNTAIN 96 TIED 96 IN 2007 1901
CAMPO 105 104 IN 1976 1948
PALM SPRINGS 119 TIED 119 IN 1942 1893
THERMAL 120 116 IN 1954 1950

Among the record-breakers

RAMONA 117 111 ON 08/31/2017 1974
RIVERSIDE 118 TIED 118 ON 07/17/1925 1893
SANTA ANA 114 112 ON 06/14/1917 1893
LA DOWNTOWN 114 108 On 06/14/1992 1984

(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)