Los Angeles is baking under a fresh blast of summer heat as a Southern California heatwave pushes temperatures sharply higher — but the big question is how close the city may come to its most scorching days in recorded history.
An “extreme heat warning” remains in place across much of the region until 8 p.m. Thursday, with forecasters expecting temperatures to climb past 100 degrees in several communities.
“Hot conditions with elevated risks for heat illness continues through Thursday, generally peaking today. Find ways to stay cool, especially this afternoon. Water is your friend (stay hydrated and take a dip to cool down). Improved conditions expected by Friday,” the National Weather Service Los Angeles shared in a post on X.
Wednesday is expected to bring the most intense heat of the week. The warning covers the valleys, mountain areas and inland portions of the coastal plain, where highs on Wednesday and Thursday are forecast to range from the 90s to as high as 110 degrees.
The National Weather Service put it plainly: “It will be roasty toasty in the valleys, lower mountain elevations and far interior, with highs ranging from 100 to 110 degrees.”
Those forecast highs edge close to some of the hottest temperatures ever documented in Downtown Los Angeles in recent years, according to weather data from Current Results:
Temperatures in Los Angeles and Orange counties are forecast to reach a high of 96 degrees on Wednesday, with an overnight low of 69. By Friday and continuing through the weekend, highs are expected to cool down to the low-to-mid 80s.
According to the official records maintained by the Los Angeles Almanac, the following days experienced all-time records and notable peaks in temperatures in different months over the years:
Los Angeles Downtown (DTLA) Record Dates
- Annual & September Record (113°F): September 27, 2010
A record 129°F was recorded in Beverly Hills on January 26, 2016, reported LA Almanac. The year 2016 was an absolute anomaly for the area as it broke all-time monthly high records for February, August, September, October, and November in that single year.
