Keep Cool During Holiday Heat Wave

A strong high pressure system will continue building over the Southland, bringing a heat wave through the Fourth of July weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

Highs reached 102 degrees in Acton, Lancaster, Palmdale and Woodland Hills, 101 in Chatsworth and Northridge, 98 in Van Nuys, 97 in Pomona, 94 in Pasadena, 89 in Long Beach, 85 in downtown Los Angeles and 77 at Los Angeles International Airport today.

Afternoon temperatures this weekend will range from 106 to 112 in the Antelope Valley, 100 to 105 across the warmer portions of Los Angeles County valleys, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Coastal areas will stay in the 70s and 80s during afternoon hours, while temperatures in the Hollywood Hills will range from 90 to 102.

Overnight temperatures for the foothill and desert areas will remain at 70 to low 80s throughout the weekend, the NWS said. Slight cooling could occur by the middle of the week.

The heat wave will have a tropical feel, with ``monsoonal moisture'' creating a ``slight chance'' of afternoon and evening thunderstorms in the mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the Antelope Valley between Sunday and Tuesday, according to an NWS advisory.

The NWS urged Southland residents to protect themselves and their loved ones during the heat wave by never leaving children or pets unattended in a locked vehicle; limiting outdoor activities to the morning hours, when it is the coolest; drinking plenty of fluids; and checking on friends and neighbors, especially the elderly.

-- City News Service