LA Heat Wave: Temperatures to Spike 12 Degrees Above Normal

LOS ANGELES, CA - Temperatures will be more than 12 degrees above normal Tuesday and Wednesday because of high pressure aloft and warm Santa Ana winds, forecasters said.

With a high forecast to reach 88 degrees Fahrenheit, downtown L.A. will be 13 degrees higher than normal Tuesday and 17 degrees above the norm Wednesday, when the high will be 92, said National Weather Service meteorologist Rich Thomson. Burbank, forecast to reach 92 Tuesday and Wednesday, will be 16 degrees higher than the average.

Also in this week's forecast is high surf. A large west-to-northwest swell will begin to move into the coastal waters of Southern California this afternoon, the NWS said. Surf of 8-10 feet is expected Wednesday, diminishing to 5-8 feet Thursday. Another large westerly swell will trigger more high surf Friday into Saturday.

Along the L.A. County Coast, a high surf advisory will got into effect at 4 a.m. Wednesday and expire at 9 p.m. Thursday. In Orange County, it will be in force from 7 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday.

Also issued for Orange County is a wind advisory that will be in effect from 7 p.m. Tuesday until 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The NWS forecast sunny skies Tuesday and highs of 76 degrees on Mount Wilson; 81 in Avalon, Palmdale and Lancaster; 83 at LAX; 88 in downtown L.A. and Saugus; 89 in Long Beach and San Gabriel; 91 in Pasadena; 92 in Burbank and Woodland Hills.

Sunny skies were also forecast in Orange County, along with highs of 78 in Newport Beach; 80 in Laguna Beach and San Clemente; 90 in Anaheim, Irvine and Mission Viejo; and 92 in Fullerton and Yorba Linda.

Temperatures will climb by only a few degrees in L.A. County and in inland sections of Orange County Wednesday but by up to 9 degrees along the Orange County coast.

A gradual cooling trend will get underway Thursday, when temperatures in many communities will be where they are Tuesday.

City News Service; Photo: Shutterstock