Heat will continue Friday in the San Diego County deserts, but cooler temperatures are expected in coastal areas and the western valleys, according to the National Weather Service.
The high-pressure system behind the scorching conditions was originally expected to leave the region Friday, but will linger until Saturday before it is replaced by a trough of low pressure moving over the west coast, forecasters said.
An excessive heat warning was set to expire Thursday night but has been extended through 8 p.m. Friday in the county deserts.
High temperatures Friday are forecast to reach 80 degrees near the coast, 88 inland, 91 in the western valleys, 99 near the foothills, 101 in the mountains and 118 in the deserts.
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The mercury in the deserts is expected to drop to 112 on Saturday, forecasters said. Highs in the western valleys are expected to dip into the mid-to-high 80s on Saturday, while temperatures near the foothills will drop to the low-to-mid 90s on Saturday.
The NWS urged residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun and check on relatives and neighbors. Also, children, seniors and pets should be never be left unattended in a vehicle, with car interiors able to "reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes," according to the NWS.
To help the public beat the heat, the county is offering nine cooling centers in Alpine, Borrego Springs, Fallbrook, Lakeside, Potrero, Ramona, Santa Ysabel, Spring Valley and Valley Center. Due to the coronavirus, mandatory mask-wearing and social-distancing protocols are enforced in the facilities.
A full list of the cooling center locations can be found here.
