Extreme heat and gusty winds create elevated fire danger. How to stay safe

Hold onto your Hydroflask, it's going to be brutal out there.

Today (Thursday, Sept. 5) will be 5 to 10 degrees warmer than yesterday for coasts and valleys.

That means we expect to see some eye-popping numbers across Southern California where even the beaches are expected to reach the 80s. Areas along the inland coast will pay a price for the heat at the beach, with upper 90s forecast.

Watch out for wildfires. Stay cool, stay hydrated.

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Courtesy NWS

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Some other notable forecasts:

• It could get as hot as 95 degrees in Culver City and hit triple digits in Anaheim.
• Today's peak highs for the western San Fernando Valley will range from 105 to 114 degrees.
• San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys will reach up to 106 degrees.
• The Inland Empire is expected to hit to 112 degrees.
• Coachella Valley is expected to reach up to 119 degrees today.

What about tonight?

Tonight's lows for interior areas will be in the 70s, but in the 80s for foothill communities, up to 89 degrees for Cathedral City.

What's next

It's not over. Forecasters say Friday will be the peak of this heatwave.

Remember to drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun, and check on your loved ones.

Fire weather watch

The extreme heat led the National Weather Service to issue a fire weather watch for the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains including the Interstate 5 and Highway 14 corridors. That's due to low humidity, dry conditions, extreme heat and gusty winds up to 30 miles per hour now through Saturday.

That watch could turn into a red flag warning. We'll keep monitoring these advisories for you. In the meantime, if you live near a wildfire prone area, now is a good time to check your go-bag.

Red flag warning

Because high heat combined with gusty winds create dangerous fire conditions, The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning Thursday morning through Saturday evening for most of the mountain areas in Southern California.

The Red Flag Warning applies to all mountain ranges stretching from Santa Barbara County into Los Angeles County, including the Santa Monica and San Gabriel mountains.

People living in these areas should check parking restrictions and be prepared to self-evacuate should a fire break out.

Heatwave contributes to poor air quality

Air quality officials say smog will cover the Southland for the next few days due to the heat wave.

The Santa Clarita and San Gabriel valleys and portions of San Bernardino's valleys and mountains will experience unhealthy levels of smog.

During this time officials suggest running an air purifier and to avoid using big polluters like gas powered equipment until the evening.

You can also run your air conditioner to help maintain your indoor air quality, just make sure you have a good filter. We have a guide on how to look for the best filter.

You can check the air quality near you on the AQMD website.

Where to cool down in L.A.

The city of L.A. has now opened six cooling centers to help Angelenos beat the heat from 10 a.m .to 9 p.m today through Monday:

• Fred Roberts Recreation Center
  4700 Honduras St., Los Angeles
• Mid Valley Senior Center
  8801 Kester Ave., Panorama City
• Sunland Senior Center
  8640 Fenwick St., Sunland
• Lafayette Multipurpose Community Center
  625 S Lafayette Park Place, Los Angeles
• Jim Gilliam Recreation Center
  4000 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles
• Lincoln Heights Senior Center
  2323 Workman St., Los Angeles

Two library cooling centers will also be open just for this Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.:

• Chinatown Branch Library
  639 N. Hill Street, Los Angeles
• Pacoima Branch Library
  13605 Van Nuys Boulevard, Pacoima

And during regular business hours, most L.A. city recreation centers and libraries serve as cooling centers.

LADWP customers can sign up to receive power outage alerts through text or email here.

For residents in Skid Row, heat relief can be found at climate stations that provide cold beverages, seating, shade and other resources at these locations:

• Towne St. (between 5th St. & 6th. St.) across from ReFresh Spot
• San Pedro St. mid-block between 6th and 7th Streets
• 5th and Maple

More regional cooling centers

In L.A., Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties, call 3-1-1 or call for a list of cooling centers. In the city of Los Angeles, you can also find a list of recreation centers, senior centers and libraries — all good choices for cooling off — online.

• Tip: Call the center in advance to make sure seating is available.
• Tip: If the center you want is at capacity, or non-operational, head to a local, air-conditioned library and cool off with a book about ice fishing in Antarctica.

You can get more details of cooling centers in Southern California:

• L.A. County
• City of L.A. (includes hydration centers)
• Orange County
• Riverside County
• San Bernardino County

Heat exhaustion vs. heat stroke

As excessive heat covers the southland for the next few days, it's important to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

If you don't know how to tell the difference there are two things to look out for: your pulse and sweat levels.

Heat stroke symptoms typically include no sweating, throbbing headache and a rapid strong pulse. Heat exhaustion on the other hand makes you feel faint, dizzy, with a rapid weak pulse and excessive sweating.

To treat heat exhaustion, move to a cooler location, drink water and take a cold shower.
If you are feeling a heat stroke, get help immediately and try to cool down.

Beach water warnings

If you're heading to the beach today to cool off during this heatwave there are a few beaches Los Angeles County health officials are asking you to stay away from. Unhealthy bacteria levels were found in the waters at the following beaches:

• Mothers Beach in Marina Del Rey
  The entire swim area.
  
• Las Flores Creek at Las Flores State Beach
  The entire swim area.
  
• Walnut Creek at Paradise Cove
  The entire swim area.
  
• Marie Canyon Storm Drain at Puerco Beach
  100 yards up and down the coast from the public access steps.
  
• Ramirez Creek at Paradise Cove
  100 yards up and down the coast from the Paradise Cove Pier.
  
• Inner Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro
  The entire swim area.
  
• Topanga Canyon Beach in Malibu
  100 yards up and down the coast from the lagoon.
  
• Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica
  100 yards up and down the coast from the pier.
  
• Solstice Creek at Dan Blocker County Beach
  The entire swim area.
  
• Pena Creek at Las Tunas County Beach
  100 yards in each direction of the outfall.