Dangerous Heat Warning Issued For Riverside County

SOUTHWEST RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Enjoy the relatively nice weather while you can, because conditions will be unbearable for some later this week.

An extreme heat warning has been issued for western Riverside County, where temperatures will soar above 100 degrees. The warning will be in effect from 10 a.m. Wednesday to at least 8 p.m. Thursday across all of western Riverside County, including from the county's southern reaches near Murrieta and Temecula up to Riverside and over to the San Gorgonio Pass Area, according to the National Weather Service.

The heatwave will be accompanied by high humidity and "an increased risk for heat-related illness for vulnerable populations and anyone spending extended periods of time outdoors," the NWS reported.

Overnight temperatures will give little reprieve, with the mercury dropping to just the low to mid-70s on Wednesday, according to the NWS.

The hot, sticky weather comes as a moisture surge is bringing a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms to the local mountains and deserts Monday, with a slight change of precipitation reaching the lower elevations, the NWS reported.

The oppressive heat wave is expected to be brief, with the high-pressure system breaking down by the weekend and temperatures near normal. Despite the cooldown, forecasters are watching a chance of greater monsoonal conditions moving across the area on Friday and possibly into the weekend.