The official start of summer may still be a week away, but the season’s warm weather has come early, as a heat wave rolls through much of the Central Coast and Southern California this week.
In Santa Barbara, temperatures are forecasted to be in the high 70s through Thursday, before climbing into the mid-to-high 80s the rest of week, with clear and sunny weather. Lows are projected to be in the low 60s.
According to Western Regional Climate Center, the average high in June in Santa Barbara is between 72 and 73 degrees.
Santa Maria will be cooler this week, with highs forecasted in the high 70s and lows in the mid- to high 50s, according to the National Weather Service. It will be breezy in the city through Thursday night.
The onset of summer weather prompted the National Weather Service to issue a special weather statement for the Tri-County and Los Angeles regions describing an “extended heat wave with elevated fire danger for interior portions of Southwest California through early next week.
“While there may be some cooling near the coast over the weekend due to increasing onshore flow, interior sections are expected to remain hot and dry,” the statement said.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department listed Wednesday’s fire danger status as high, and the county’s Public Health Department warned that without proper precautions, warm weather could cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
To stay safe and cool, people are recommended to stay hydrated, limit outdoor exercising to cooler times of the day, spend time in air conditioned places if your home can’t be kept cool, and keep an eye on the elderly, infants, those with chronic illness and pets.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.