Triple-digit heat expected Friday before temps drop over the weekend

Another day of heat is expected in the Riverside metropolitan area and the Coachella Valley today, but temperatures will drop over the weekend throughout the Inland Empire, according to the National Weather Service.

The high pressure system behind the scorching conditions was originally expected to leave today, but will linger until Saturday before it is replaced by a trough of low pressure moving over the west coast, forecasters said.

An excessive heat warning in the Coachella Valley was set to expire Thursday night, but has been extended until 8 p.m. today. A heat advisory will also last through 8 p.m. today in the Riverside metropolitan area.

High temperatures today are forecast to reach 113 in the Coachella Valley, 103 in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, 101 in Hemet, 101 in Riverside, 98 in Lake Elsinore, 96 in Temecula and 86 in Idyllwild.

Highs in the Riverside metropolitan area will drop to the mid-to-high 90s on Saturday and Sunday, while the mercury in the Coachella Valley is expected to dip to 111 on Saturday, then 106 on Sunday, forecasters said.

The NWS urged residents to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun and check on relatives and neighbors. Also, children, seniors and pets should be never be left unattended in a vehicle, with car interiors able to "reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes," according to the NWS.

Riverside County has 35 cooling centers available countywide with mandatory mask wearing and social distancing protocols in place.

A full list of the cooling center locations can be found at: capriverside.org/Cool-Centers.

Coachella Valley: Extreme heat continues. These cooling centers are open