Heat Wave Hits Riverside County; Triple Digits Expected This Week

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Sunny weather and temperatures well into the 90s and triple digits are expected throughout Riverside County Monday, with even more heat on the way.

A high pressure system over the region that will stick around for most of the week is to blame for the above average temperatures, according to the National Weather Service.

Highs for Monday are forecast to be 94 degrees in Riverside, 95 degrees in Lake Elsinore, 90 degrees in Beaumont and 103 degrees in Palm Springs.

An excessive heat warning was issued by the NWS for desert areas, including the Coachella Valley, between noon Tuesday and 7 p.m. Friday.

The agency expects "dangerously hot conditions with high temperatures around 110" in those areas.

Wednesday and Thursday are expected to be the hottest days of the heat wave with temperatures coming down by Friday and into next weekend, the NWS said.

HEAT WARNING

Issued for all desert areas
Tuesday through Friday

Hottest so far this year for deserts
Low 100's possible for Inland Empire

Strenuous outdoor activities, especially during the hottest part of the day, are strongly discouraged. #CAwx pic.twitter.com/JFktq3eOwQ
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) May 24, 2020

"Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young

children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances," the NWS advised.

For those looking for some respite from the heat, the coronavirus restrictions on community pools were lifted earlier this month, though the Department of Environmental Health asked pool operators to take the following precautionary steps:

-- stress the need for social distancing, keeping swimmers and poolside observers six feet apart;

-- decline large pool parties and discourage other gatherings, outside of families from the same household;

-- provide hand sanitizer to guests;

-- keep plenty of soap and paper towels on hand;

-- provide time slots for activity to limit crowding;

-- assign staff members to sanitation details for disinfection of the pool area;

-- limit spa usage to one person or small groups from the same household at a time; and

-- post signs urging users to wash their hands regularly, cover their facial orifices when coughing or sneezing and leave the pool immediately if experiencing any symptoms associated with COVID-19, the flu or other illnesses.

The coronavirus pathogen does not migrate in water, health officials said, but properly maintained chlorine levels in pools and spas are a must.

—City News Service