All-Time Daily High Temp Of 123 Degrees To Be Tested In Palm Springs

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — In a National Weather Service forecast discussion Wednesday regarding the heatwave bearing down on Riverside County and the Southern California region, there were three takeaway messages:

All-time high-temperature records could be shattered in the coming days. Scorching conditions will be relentless. Heat is the most frequent cause of weather-related illnesses and deaths.

Friday and Saturday are forecast to be the hottest, though the Coachella Valley is under an excessive heat warning until at least 9 p.m. July 10. According to the NWS, daytime high temperatures will remain around 120 degrees in the desert through that period.

Riverside County valleys and mountains will be under an excessive heat warning from 11 a.m. Friday through 9 p.m. Saturday, with temperatures potentially reaching between 103 and 108, the NWS reported.

"Some areas in the Coachella Valley and San Diego County Deserts, as well as localized areas in the mountains and coastal valleys, look to set multiple daily high-temperature records," the discussion continued. "Friday in Palm Springs will be an exceptional case, when the all-time daily high-temperature record of 123 degrees will be challenged."

Forecasters admitted that the toasty temperatures on tap for the coast, mountains, and valleys aren't that irregular during summer, but it's another story for the desert, where there will be no heat relief.

"What must absolutely not be lost in this story are the overnight low temperatures in the deserts," the NWS forecasters said. "Lows in the Coachella Valley and San Diego County Deserts look to routinely only fall into the middle to upper 80s overnight while the High Deserts see lows in the middle to upper 70s, providing little to no overnight relief and added stress on power grids."

Though the deserts will be deadly for those who can't escape the brutal conditions, there are concerns no matter the location.

"Let's be real. A bunch of folks are likely going to be outside for the holiday, in the heat, playing games, grilling, and drinking alcohol. All of this is a recipe for dehydration (not to mention sunburn) if you aren't careful and mixing in ... water here and there, as well as re-applying sunscreen," the discussion continued.

"The fact of the matter is, heat is the most frequent cause of weather-related illnesses and deaths, and we have an abundance of it coming in," the NWS forecasters said. "We're gonna take this incoming heatwave seriously."