Blistering Heat Wave To Sweep Bay Area; Heat Watch Issued

BAY AREA, CA — A heat wave began to sweep the Bay Area Saturday, prompting the National Weather Service to issue an Excessive Heat Watch with record highs possible early next week.

Temperatures across much of the region Saturday afternoon were as much as 10 degrees higher than on Friday, the NWS reported, with especially large increases inland.

As the high pressure system building over the Pacific Ocean moves closer to California, temperatures will rise over Memorial Day weekend, with an expected peak Tuesday and Wednesday.

"This is not just another typical heat wave," the NWS wrote in its forecast discussion, citing the holiday weekend and that this will be the season's first extended heat event. Some inland residents may head to the coast to seek relief, only to find that some beaches and parks remain closed due to the coronavirus crisis, the NWS noted.

"Near record to record temperatures are possible for inland areas during the peak of the event," the NWS expects. Triple-digit highs are forecast Tuesday in cities including Concord, Napa and Fairfield. Highs will reach 99 degrees in Livermore and Santa Rosa, 97 in San Jose and 91 in San Francisco, according to the NWS.

The heat watch, which takes effect Monday, was issued in part because overnight lows are expected to remain up to 15 degrees above normal, and the risk of heat-related illness rises when overnight temperatures are high, the NWS said.

The watch is set to be lifted Wednesday, as cooler weather returns.

The NWS urged residents to take care over the weekend by staying hydrated, avoiding excessive exposure to the sun and staying mindful of the signs of exhaustion and heat stroke.

This article originally appeared on the Concord Patch