Excessive heat expected to continue today in L.A. County

High temperature records fell across Southe Califoia on Sunday, the second day of a heat wave that is just getting started and expected to deliver its biggest blow today.

The triple-digit temperatures expected today and power outages due to Sunday’s heat have prompted state regulators to issue a flex alert to cope with an increased electricity demand.

The alert, which will be in effect from 10u2009a.m. to 9u2009p.m. today, asks the public to tu off ueeded lights, set air conditioning to 78u2009degrees or higher and not use major appliances until the alert is over. It also asks people to limit the opening and closing of refrigerator doors and shift power-intensive processes by businesses to the early moing or late evening hours.

The statewide electric supply system will be stressed to provide the 45.3u2009billion watts of electricity that is projected to be sucked up by customers, the Califoia Independent System Operator said in a news release issued Sunday.

Cal-ISO and other state agencies have waed that heat waves this summer may draw more power than can be generated, due to supply imbalances of natural gas.

The Southe Califoia Gas Co.’s giant underground natural gas storage facility at Porter Ranch in the Sanu2009Feando Valley was taken off line due to massive leaks. That means natural gas-fired electrical generators in the Southland may not have enough fuel to generate the electricity needed to meet demand, state officials said.

Gusty sundowner winds are also expected today which should continue to fuel the Sherpa fire now buing near Goleta in Santa Barbara County, the National Weather Service reported.

The heat wave, which began Saturday, pushed thermometers to 110 in Glendale by noon Sunday.

Red Flag Waings were posted Sunday for the entire county. Fire weather — hot, dry air, strong winds and low humidity — was clamped over Southe Califoia by a huge high pressure system over the Four Coers region and is expected to produce dangerously hot conditions today in all areas across the basin, according to the weather service.

High-temperature records were broken in Riverside, Thermal, Palmu2009Springs, Indio, Idyllwild, Santau2009Ana, Ramona, Escondido, Chulau2009Vista, Alpine, Elu2009Cajon, Palomaru2009Mountain, Campo, Borrego, Burbank, Sandberg and Woodlandu2009Hills.

On Sunday, weather and health experts issued ste waings for people to stay cool or face illness.

By 2u2009p.m., unofficial readings of 112 were observed in the weste Sanu2009Feando Valley at Wietka. Other eye-popping readings included 109 near Agourau2009Hills and 96 at the official downtown Losu2009Angeles weather station at USC.

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Many beaches were not much cooler: It was 94 at Sealu2009Beach and 88 at Zumau2009Beach. In places where ocean breezes straggled ashore, it was much cooler: 79 at LAX, and 67 at the Santau2009Monica Pier.

Stagnant air stymied the usual coastal breezes in the L.A. coastal plain, where many homes do not have air conditioning. One weather service thermometer at Beverlyu2009Hills read 107 at noon.

This upcoming week’s “dangerously hot conditions” will result from “an extremely strong area of high pressure” over Arizona and New Mexico, the weather service said. Phoenix hit a high of 118 Sunday, breaking a record of 115 set nearly 50 years ago, the weather service said. It tied for the fifth-hottest day ever in Phoenix.

Minor relief was expected in coastal and valley areas begiing Tuesday, but the Sanu2009Gabriel Mountains and the Santau2009Clarita Valley were to remain dangerously hot.

An excessive heat waing was expected to remain in effect until late today in the Losu2009Angeles area.

By 5u2009p.m. Sunday, excessive heat had led to several outages throughout Los Angeles County, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Southe Califoia Edison officials said. Power went out for nearly 1,200 in Studio City, 223 in Compton, 20 in Torrance, 79 in Culveru2009City and 1,015 in Westu2009Covina, according to LAWP and SCE officials. .