Heat wave persists, but slight reprieve in store for next week

You know it’s hot when hitting 90 degrees is considered a cooling trend, but that’s what region has to look forward to Sunday evening, when a week of triple-degree heat is expected to start subsiding.

For now, the National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings through 8 p.m. Friday night, because of the combination of high temperatures and relatively high humidity for the Southland -- 20% to 30%.

In the Burbank-Glendale region, temperatures could hit 105 on Friday, and then 102 degrees on Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

In the Pasadena area, temperatures could hit 102 degrees on Friday before offering a bit of an early break this weekend when the mercury drops into the high 90s.

The National Weather Service predicts highs in the upper 90s to near 110 across the western San Fernando Valley, 90s to about 102 in the San Gabriel Valley, the lower 90s near downtown Los Angeles.

“We’ll see a little more moisture and maybe some cloudiness by Saturday, but it may not be very noticeable,” Todd Hall, National Weather Service meteorologist, told the L.A. Times. “Sunday and Monday, we’ll get more of a real break,” when temperatures dip a few notches and winds shift to the southeast.

Temperatures in the tri-city region are expected to dip into the 90s Sunday evening and stay there for much of next week, according to the weather service.

Even with the hot temperatures, Californians were being urged to reduce power consumption, especially during the hottest hours, to maintain power supplies and lower the risk of outages.

A "flex-alert" has been issued through Sunday by the California Independent System Operator, which manages most of the state's power grid.

-- Jason Wells, Times Community News, with Rebecca Trounson at the Los Angeles Times

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LOCAL COOLING CENTERS

Burbank officials on Friday also announced that the city was extending the hours of its "cooling centers" amid the lingering heat wave. The centers -- Buena Vista Library, 300 N. Buena Vista St, and the Central Library, 110 N. Glenoaks Blvd. -- will be open during the following hours:

Buena Vista Library
Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday 1:00 to 8 p.m.

Burbank Central Library
Friday 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday Closed

The Northwest Branch Library on West Victory Boulevard remains closed for seismic retrofitting until spring 2013.

The Adult Recreation Center and library branches in Glendale are also available for relief from the heat.