Southern California heat wave breaks March records as inland areas remain under extreme heat warning

As of March 18, 2026, the Southern California heat wave pushed temperatures to levels as much as 35 degrees above normal, marking a third consecutive day of record readings across the region.

The National Weather Service reported more than a dozen daily records fell Tuesday in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, including 101°F in Woodland Hills, 99°F in Burbank, 99°F in Long Beach and 98°F in downtown Los Angeles. Camarillo reached 97°F, exceeding the daily mark by 11 degrees and the all-time March record by 3 degrees. Outside L.A. County, Anaheim hit 100°F and Palm Springs reached 103°F as Orange County, San Diego County and the Inland Empire combined to break 13 records and tie a 14th.

Forecasters have an extreme heat warning in force for most inland areas and a heat advisory for coastal zones through Friday, and they warn additional daily records are likely if conditions do not change. There is about a 50% chance Palm Springs reaches 110°F later this week, which would set the earliest occurrence of that temperature by several weeks.

Local officials urged residents without home cooling to use county pools, splash pads and cooling centers. Los Angeles County health officer Muntu Davis reminded the public that heat-related illness can be severe and listed symptoms — dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, confusion or loss of consciousness — that require immediate medical attention.

Health agencies also flagged elevated bacteria at multiple beaches, including inner Cabrillo Beach, Santa Monica and sections of Venice and Marina del Rey. Forecasts call for a gradual easing of the strong high pressure system this weekend, with coastal marine layer clouds returning Friday night and region-wide temperatures still expected to remain 5 to 15 degrees above normal into next week.