Temperatures will return to normal by Sunday afternoon in San Diego County as cool air flows ashore, ending one of the longest and hottest heat waves the region has experienced in years, the National Weather Service said.
“The temperature actually could be way below average in some areas,” said Kyle Wheeler, a weather service forecaster.
The change will be a dramatic contrast from Friday’s conditions. The temperature hit 105 at Escondido, 3 degrees above the record high for Aug. 28, set in 2015. The heat lingered. At 5 p.m. Friday, the temperature was 93 in Poway and 91 at Gillespie Field in El Cajon.
The average high temperature in San Diego through late Thursday was 80.9 degrees, making it the fifth hottest August in a data set that goes back 88 years.
The relentless hot weather has helped lift sea-surface temperatures into the 75- to 77-degree range, which is substantially above normal. The seasonal average is 68 to 71.
Many people sought relief in the ocean, where waves were in the 3- to 5-foot range. Similar conditions are expected on Saturday, and rip currents will be treacherous, especially at south-facing beaches.
Forecasters are keeping an eye on Karina, a tropical storm southwest of Baja California. It’s possible that the system will bring rain to greater San Diego early next week. Much of the county is currently abnormally dry, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.