Los Angeles County set a new high temperature as a cooling sea breeze remained trapped offshore, according to the National Weather Service.
Scorching temperatures continued to bake Southern California on Sunday, with a record of 121 degrees set in Los Angeles County and at least one death, a 41-year-old hiker, suspected to be related to the heat.
The record 121-degree reading, in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley, northwest of downtown Los Angeles, eclipsed a record of 119, set in July 2006, according to Dave Bruno, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles/Oxnard forecasting office.
“When all is said and done, there will probably be a dozen official records today, at least daily records, and several monthly or all-time records today,” Mr. Bruno said.
“Very, very hot day,” he added. “Some places never fell below 100 degrees last night, which is very unusual around here. This is quite a heat wave.”
The region was locked in a heat wave because of a high-pressure system and an offshore flow that prevented the sea breeze from cooling the shore. This gave rise to conditions that “allowed basically the entire region to roast,” Mr. Bruno said.
Source: NY Times