Heat Wave, Monsoonal Moisture Coming Back To Murrieta

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA - A heat wave is set to strike Southern California starting Monday, with temperatures expected to soar well into triple digits throughout Riverside County until Wednesday. Here in Murrieta, 102 degrees was expected on both Monday and Tuesday.

The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for the Coachella Valley, San Gorgonio Pass near Banning and Riverside County Mountains and valleys starting at 10 a.m. and lasting until 8 p.m. Tuesday. High temperatures of 113 to 118 degrees were expected in the Coachella Valley, while the Inland Empire was expected to reach between 105 to 110 degrees.

"Relief is in sight toward the end of the week with some chances for showers and storms," the NWS said.

The brief heat wave wasn't expected to see temperatures as high as the previous heat wave that ran from July 23-27. That heat wave set several record high temperatures with the heat peaking at 122 degrees in Thermal and 121 degrees in Palm Springs, according to the NWS.

High temperatures Monday were expected to reach 112 degrees in Thermal, 112 degrees in Palm Springs, 103 in Riverside, 102 in Temecula and 113 in Indio, forecasters said. Nighttime lows will be in the high 80s in the lower deserts, meaning the minimal cooling at night could pose a health risk to those who don't have access to air conditioning because the body needs time to cool down from the day's heat, according to the NWS.

By Wednesday, monsoonal moisture is expected to return to the region.

"On Wednesday...monsoonal moisture will begin to return," the NWS said. "This will take the edge off the excessive heat for inland areas and bring a chance for thunderstorms over the mountains on Wednesday
afternoon and early evening."

Here's the NWS forecast for Murrieta for this hot work week:

Today
Sunny, with a high near 102. Light and variable wind becoming south 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 73. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday
Sunny, with a high near 102. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

Tuesday Night
Mostly clear, with a low around 71. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 96. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 10 to 15 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.

Thursday
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 100. Chance of precipitation is 10%.

Thursday Night
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 72.

Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 96.

Friday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 69.

The combination of hot days and warm nights was expected to increase the threat of heat illness, and the NWS urged residents and guests to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Never leave a child, senior or pet in a parked vehicle, even with the windows cracked, as interior temperatures can quickly turn lethal.

Temperatures were expected to cool slightly on Wednesday, when monsoonal moisture is expected to return with a slight chance of thunderstorms, forecasters said.

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— Image via National Weather Service / City News Service contributed to this report