RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Temperatures are forecast to top 100 degrees again this week in the Riverside metropolitan area, while monsoonal moisture may trigger thunderstorms in the eastern Coachella Valley before the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency said Monday that seasonable heat will prevail in Riverside and the Hemet and Temecula valleys until Wednesday, when the mercury will cross into triple digits — a trend that will continue through the weekend.
A Heat Advisory for Riverside, Corona, Moreno Valley, San Jacinto, Temecula and neighboring cities will be in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday to 8 p.m. Monday. An Extreme Heat Watch has been posted for the Coachella Valley and all desert areas to the east over the same period.
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"Highs on Wednesday will be five to 10 degrees warmer than Tuesday for inland locations and a few degrees warmer along the coast," the NWS said in a statement. "Conditions will continue to warm Thursday through the upcoming weekend, as the upper level ridge of high pressure's position moves more west over Arizona and Nevada."
The ridge is currently centered over the southeastern pocket of Arizona.
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At the end of last week, the mercury hit 100 in Riverside over a two-day period.
"While there remain chances of showers and thunderstorms in the mountains Thursday and Friday afternoons, chances are continuing to decrease," the Weather Service said.
Moonsoonal flows originating from Arizona may extend into the eastern Coachella Valley, though forecasters said the only real chance for moderate risk thunderstorms appears to be Friday afternoon and evening.
For Palm Springs, Indio, Rancho Mirage and adjacent spots, daytime highs will peak around 108 Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday and through the weekend, the mercury will soar, topping out near 115 Saturday and Sunday. Lows will be in the mid 80s all week long.
In the Riverside metropolitan area, temps will top out in the mid 90s Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday to Sunday, 100 to 102 degrees will be the norm daily, according to meteorologists. Lows will generally settle in the upper 60s throughout the week.
In the Temecula Valley, highs will reach about 90 Monday and Tuesday, rising into the mid 90s Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and possibly upper 90s Saturday and Sunday. Lows will fall into the low to mid 60s during the forecast period.
