A record high temperature of 92 degrees was set in downtown Los Angeles, according to the National Weather Service, breaking the old record of 90 set in 1966. In Long Beach, the mercury reached 89, two degrees higher than the old record of 87, which was set in 1989.
A two-day heat wave has settled over the area, making spring feel more like summer. Temperatures were near 80 at the beaches, the upper 80s inland and the mid-80s to lower 90s in the valleys.
"It's beautiful. This is real California, 90 degrees," said Danny Bonyadi, a Fairfax-district resident.
Many folks got out to enjoy the picture-perfect Southern California day. Winter coats were left home, replaced with shorts and T-shirts, which was a welcome departure for many.
People were seen walking around in flip flops and driving in convertibles with the top down. And despite the heat, people were swimming, playing basketball and exercising.
"It's a nice change from the rain and the clouds we've been having," said Riverside resident David Inaba. "It's been kind of a weird year, it rains for two weeks straight then suddenly the heat. So it's kind of nice to have a break every once in a while."
Just last week, the state was dealing with heavy rain and snow. In fact, there has been so much rain and snow this season that California's three-year drought was declared officially over on Wedneday.
The hot weather is expected to be short-lived. Highs around 90 degrees are expected again on Friday, but over the weekend, the temperature is forecast to drop about 20 degrees, with a slight chance of showers on Sunday.
