La Jolla's coast faces highs in the upper 80s to mid-90s starting 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, under a National Weather Service (NWS) heat advisory through 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.
The advisory covers San Diego County's coastal areas and Orange County, according to Fox 5 San Diego. Friday, Oct. 16, is expected to be the hottest day, the NWS stated. Some weather models show San Diego County communities could see temperatures higher than the deserts, Fox 5 reported.
The heat arrives alongside a high wind watch for the county's valleys and mountains, including Julian and Pine Valley. The NWS said the watch runs from Thursday morning through Saturday evening, with sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts up to 70 mph possible.
A 10News forecast reported gusts of 40 to 60 mph, with isolated gusts exceeding 70 mph. Humidity levels will drop to between 10% and 25%, 10News reported.
Friday is also expected to be the windiest day. Forecasters warn that damaging winds could topple trees and power lines, causing potential outages. Drivers of high-profile vehicles such as trucks and RVs are advised to use caution.
The season's first Santa Ana wind event is driving both hazards. Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the NWS in Oxnard, told the Los Angeles Times that large swaths of Southern California will see sustained winds of 20 to 40 mph between Thursday and Friday afternoons. Gusts of 40 to 60 mph are expected, with up to 70 mph in mountain areas.
"There's a high risk for heat illness Thursday through Saturday," Kittell told the Los Angeles Times. The Times noted many coastal residents lack air conditioning.
The advisories come days after Tropical Storm Rachel swept through the region. KPBS reported that crews responded to 17 downed power lines, five transformer fires and 53 traffic collisions during the storm.
The Los Angeles Times reported that areas east of the 405 Freeway received 2 to 5 inches of rain from Rachel, lowering fire risk there. Daniel Swain, a UC Agriculture and Natural Resources climate scientist, told the Times that west of that line, "almost no rain fell at all."
The NWS heat advisory urges residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay in air-conditioned spaces, limit strenuous outdoor activity to early morning or evening, and check on relatives and neighbors. San Diego County's Cool Zones program offers free air-conditioned locations during heat events. Residents can call 1-800-339-4661 for information.
