Santa Maria had already broken its daily heat record by noon Thursday, marking the third consecutive day of record-breaking temperatures.

A heat advisory remains in effect across Santa Barbara County until 8 p.m. Friday as more unusually hot weather is expected to push temperatures into the upper 80s and low 90s, according to the National Weather Service.

While much of the region is expected to see its hottest temperatures Thursday, Friday will remain quite warm before temperatures begin easing over the weekend, according to Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

Schoenfeld said a general cooldown of about 5 to 10 degrees can be expected across much of the county beginning Saturday. Even with that drop, she said, warm weather is likely to continue into next week, with beach areas generally staying in the upper 70s and inland areas remaining in the 80s.

The unusual March heat is being driven by a “summertime-strength” ridge of high pressure over the region that is bringing a very warm air mass and sinking motion in the atmosphere, causing the air to heat up further as it compresses. It is similar to how air warms when it is pumped into a tire, Schoenfeld said.

The hot spell has already produced record temperatures this week.

On Wednesday, Santa Maria reached 93 degrees, breaking its previous daily record of 83 set in 1960, while Santa Barbara Airport tied its daily record at 82 degrees, matching the mark set in 1950.

Both cities also broke daily heat records Tuesday, making it the hottest St. Patrick’s Day on record.

Additional daily records will be challenged Thursday and Friday, including at Santa Barbara Airport and in Santa Maria, Schoenfeld said.

As of noon Thursday, Santa Maria Airport already broke its previous daily heat record of 83 degrees, which was set in 1984.

According to National Weather Service NOWData, Santa Barbara Airport’s March 19 record is 82 degrees, set in 1995.

ReadySBC, run by the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Management, urges residents to take precautions during the heat, especially older adults, young children and pets.

Officials recommend drinking plenty of water, avoiding strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day, cooling off in shade or air-conditioned spaces frequently, and never leaving children or pets in vehicles. People also should watch for signs of heat exhaustion and call 9-1-1 if heat stroke is suspected.

For more information and preparedness tips, visit ReadySBC.org.

Local Forecasts

Santa Barbara is expected to cool to around 61 Thursday night, with patchy fog possible. Highs are forecast near 88 Friday, 86 Saturday and 83 Sunday, with overnight lows in the upper 50s through the weekend.

Santa Maria is expected to cool to around 59 Thursday night. Highs are forecast near 91 Friday, 83 Saturday and 81 Sunday, with overnight lows in the low to mid-50s going into next week.

Lompoc is expected to cool to around 56 Thursday night. Highs are forecast near 90 Friday, 80 Saturday and 80 Sunday, with overnight lows in the low 50s through Sunday.

Santa Ynez is expected to cool to around 53 Thursday night. Highs are forecast near 92 Friday, 91 Saturday and 83 Sunday, with overnight lows ranging from the upper 40s to around 50 through the weekend.

Check the latest weather forecasts and weather-related alerts and advisories here.