Murrieta Heat Wave: Thunderstorm Possible, Temps To Dip This Week

MURRIETA, CA — A heat wave that began last week is expected to gradually break starting Monday and return high temperatures to under triple digits by Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

High temperatures for the metropolitan Riverside area are expected to remain in the low 100s until Wednesday with a slight chance of thunderstorms Tuesday and Wednesday, forecasters said. Monday's high in the Coachella Valley is forcast to be 105.

As for Murrieta in particular, here's what you can expect this week:

Monday Afternoon
Mostly sunny, with a high near 96. South wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Monday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. South wind 10 to 15 mph becoming light and variable in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Tuesday
A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 96. Light and variable wind becoming south 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable in the evening.

Wednesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 10 to 15 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 25 mph.

Wednesday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.

Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.

Thursday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.

Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.

RECORD-BREAKING HEAT

Riverside broke its record for warmest low temperature Saturday with 82 degrees, two degrees higher than the previous record set in 2007.

The highest low temperature Sunday in Riverside was 75 degrees, also a record for that date.

The NWS issued a heat advisory for the metropolitan Riverside area for the past three days, with the last warning ending at 9 p.m. Sunday.

Riverside also set record high temperatures Friday and Saturday with the mercury topping out at 113 over the weekend.

The heat wave resulted in various blackouts throughout Los Angeles, which crews are still working to restore.

Southern California Edison Monday reported that 327 customers in Riverside County were without power.

Increased moisture and clouds could result in a slight chance for thunderstorms Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Live Oak Canyon and Pinyon Pines each received more than .15 inches of rain as of 8 p.m. Sunday, according to the NWS.

High winds in Thermal and Palm Springs are expected to result in reduced visibility and poor air quality Monday morning.

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