With Santa Barbara County in the grips of a stifling heatwave, high-temperature records were set Wednesday in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, according to the National Weather Service.
The thermometer topped out at 103 in Santa Maria, beating the record for Aug. 9 of 99 degrees set in 1984.
Santa Barbara hit a high of 96 degrees, besting the previous mark of 95, also set in 1984.
The official readings for both cities are taken at their respective airports.
Meanwhile, numerous locations around the county saw triple-digit highs, including 110 in Solvang, 106 at the Santa Ynez Airport, 105 at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 104 in the Carpinteria foothills, 103 in Refugio Canyon, 101 in downtown Santa Barbara, and 100 in Lompoc.
The scorching conditions are expected to ease slightly but persist on Thursday, with many areas around the county again likely to see highs in the 90s and into triple digits.
“Temperatures should be down, but it’s still going to feel really hot,” Ryan Kittell, a Weather Service meteorologist, told Noozhawk. “The main message is for everyone to just hunker down and get through Thursday.”
An Extreme Heat Warning will remain in effect through 8 p.m. Thursday before a “noticeable drop” in temperatures on Friday, Kittell said.
Forecast highs for Santa Barbara are 86 on Friday, 83 of Saturday, and 78 on Sunday.
The cooling trend should continue into next week, when highs are expected in the 70s, with a return of the marine layer.
Although the high surf of recent days has diminished, high tides over the next few days could lead to some localized minor coastal flooding, Kittell said.
A Beach Hazards Statement will remain in effect until Thursday evening.
Possible Public Safety Power Shutoffs
Southern California Edison Co. has indicated that Public Safety Power Outages are possible for numerous areas along the county’s South Coast — including San Marcos Pass, much of the eastern Goleta Valley, and the Gaviota Coast.
The outages will be implemented if conditions develop that could lead to high wildfire danger.
Click here for information from SCE about the possible outages.
High Temps Bring Danger for Heat Illnesses
High temperatures bring the danger of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Click here for details on how to stay safe during the heatwave.
Click here for the latest forecast from the National Weather Service.
