Heat wave expected to shatter decades-old temperature records across SoCal on Wednesday

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With a heat dome bringing broiling conditions to Southern California, decades-old temperatures are expected to be broken in downtown Los Angeles and elsewhere across the region on Wednesday.

"Heat advisories and Extreme warnings are in place for the majority of areas (except the Antelope Valley and northern Ventura County mountains, which climatologically tend to be on the warmer side). High temperatures this week will climb into the mid 90s to low 100s through Friday, with minimal day-to-day changes (20-35 degrees above normal)."

By mid-afternoon Tuesday, a series of temperature records for the date had already been broken:

• Downtown Los Angeles reached 97 degrees, topping the 1914 record of 94
• Los Angeles International Airport hit 92 degrees, breaking the 1978 record of 91
• Long Beach reached 98 degrees, breaking the 1978 record of 95
• Burbank measured 94 degrees, breaking the 1978 record of 92
• Woodland Hills reached 100 degrees, breaking the 2007 record of 93

Forecasters say a heat wave this week could challenge records across parts of Los Angeles and Southern California.

"This is technically still winter," Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Monday. "This is not normal for March, obviously, but it is a sign of how climate change is impacting our city."

While temperatures are expected to reach 100 F, the threat of wildfires around Los Angeles is relatively low because winds will be light.

Here are some records that could possibly fall on Thursday:

• 92 degrees in Woodland Hills in 1997, normal temperature of 74 degrees
• 87 degrees in downtown L.A. in 1997, normal temperature of 74 degrees
• 89 degrees in Burbank in 1978, normal temperature of 70 degrees
• 86 degrees in Long Beach in 1960, normal temperature of 69 degrees
• 85 degrees in Lancaster in in 20024, normal temperature of 68 degrees
• 83 degrees in Anaheim in 2009, normal temperature of 71 degrees