Southern California is pushing through another day of sweltering temperatures and unusually humid air amid a stretch that has sent readings into record territory, battered the coastline, and put pressure on schools.
A cooldown is expected by Friday, but forecasters say many communities still must get through one more period of dangerous weather.
Here's what to know
On Thursday, severe heat was still gripping Southern California, according to the Los Angeles Times.
"Many locations will keep the very high heat risk going for one more day," the National Weather Service warned.
Multiple cities set daily marks or matched old ones Wednesday. Long Beach climbed to 107 degrees, beating its previous record of 103 from 2015, while downtown Los Angeles reached 105, tying the record for the date that was set just two years ago.
Escondido, meanwhile, experienced its hottest day since recordkeeping began in 1893, the National Weather Service's San Diego office wrote on X. Camarillo, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, and Santa Maria also surpassed prior marks.
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Meteorologists said the event was being fueled by a high-pressure system that extended from Arizona together with offshore winds from the north and east, a setup that produced both extreme heat and high humidity.
Los Angeles County public health officials said that combination made this spell more dangerous than previous heat waves, especially for people with preexisting conditions, older adults, pregnant women, children, and those without air conditioning.
More background
The toll has not been limited to temperature records. Communities have also dealt with drownings, dangerous surf, and coastal erosion.
The strain has reached classrooms as well. Not every campus in the Torrance Unified School District has air conditioning.
In an email to parents, the LA Times said that the superintendent's office acknowledged, "We recognize that the temperatures in many of our classrooms reached record-breaking levels that were miserable for both staff and students."
What's being done?
The district created cooling zones, ensured students stayed hydrated, and scaled back outdoor activity.
Officials have also urged residents to avoid afternoon outdoor activity, spend time in air-conditioned places, and take frequent breaks.
The National Weather Service's Oxnard office said parts of the coast and nearby valleys could cool by 4 to 8 degrees Thursday and by about 5 more degrees Friday and that the offshore pattern should weaken Thursday morning and move onshore in the afternoon, bringing in cool ocean air.
Where can I learn more?
Southern California's triple-digit heat and unusual humidity are part of a wider set of risks that come with rising global temperatures, from medical emergencies to strain on the power grid and abrupt weather shifts.
• Doctors warn that heat stroke symptoms can escalate quickly during humid, dangerous heat.
• In Texas, oppressive heat waves pushed communities and emergency systems toward dangerous limits.
• Still, renewables softened the blow as brutal heat sent electricity demand soaring.
• In North Dakota, a sizzling heat wave gave way to record cold in mere days.
• Along vulnerable coasts, extreme weather threatens to trigger more landslides and megatsunamis.
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