Forecasters were predicting that the high temperatures that hit Newport Beach and the rest of Orange County this week, breaking records in some areas, will begin to fall tomorrow.
A strong upper-level high-pressure system in inland southwestern California brought the heat Wednesday and Thursday. This upper-level high in combination with offshore flow near the surface helped coastal temperatures reach the high 80s and 90s, and top 100 degrees in a few inland cities, according to NWS.
By Friday, the high aloft will weaken and the onshore flow will begin to strengthen, starting a slow cooling trend expected to continue through Saturday and Sunday. Coastal highs for the weekend are expected to be in the high 70s and low 80s.
Temperatures were highest in the inland valleys and foothills, but Newport Beach reached as high as 95 degrees on Wednesday at the National Weather Service station near Mesa and Upper Bay drives.That same station reached 87 degrees on Thursday.
The highs for most of Newport Beach ranged from the mid- to high 80s during the two-day heat wave.
“The temperatures are 15 to 20 degrees above normal for the middle of October,” the NWS reported.
Several locations in Orange County set record highs, the weather service reported, including John Wayne Airport, which hit 99 on Wednesday, surpassing the prior record of 88 from 1999.
