Little relief in sight as SoCal braves hottest day of the heatwave. How to stay safe and what to expect

SoCal broiled under Friday's dangerous heatwave with triple-digit temperatures reported over much of the area.

We saw eye-popping numbers in Woodland Hills, which reached 115 degrees, and in Long Beach, which reported 108 degrees. Our beaches didn't fare that much better, with temperatures hovering in the 90s up and down the coast.

Scorching highs for the Southland followed by warm overnight lows.

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Courtesy NWS

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What else we saw today:

• Downtown L.A. reported 105 degrees and Tustin reported 106 degrees.
• The inland communities were hit hardest with peak highs for the San Fernando Valley ranging from 108 to 119 degrees.
• San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys ranged between 108 to 111.
• The Inland Empire reached 115 degrees.
• Coachella Valley reached 117 degrees.

What about tonight?

Tonight's lows for interior areas will be in the 70s, but in the 80s to 90s for foothill and desert communities.

What's next

The heat will stick around through next week. Saturday will be about 5 degrees cooler, same goes for Sunday. But forecasters say the real cooling won't begin until next Thursday at the earliest.

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

Red flag warning

Because high heat combined with gusty winds creates dangerous fire conditions, the National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning Thursday 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. Some things you should avoid to prevent a wildfire from breaking out: mowing your lawn or parking your car on dry grass. You'd be surprised how many wildfires in California are human caused. If you live near a wildfire prone area, now is a good time to check your go-bag.

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.

LADWP is offering free AC's to older Angelenos. Find out more here.

Where to cool down in L.A.

Mid Valley Senior Citizen Center in Panorama City is among locations offering extended hours during this week's heatwave

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Dania Maxwell

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Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

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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

Long Beach parks and libraries also serve as cooling centers during normal business hours. The following five locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday:

• Houghton Park
  6301 Myrtle Ave., Long Beach
  
• El Dorado Park
  2800 Studebaker Road, Long Beach
  
• Silverado Park 1
  1545 W. 31st St., Long Beach
  
• McBride Park – California Recreation Community Center
  1550 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., Long Beach
  
• Long Beach Senior Center
  1150 E. 4th Street, Long Beach
  

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. We have a full breakdown on the crucial differences between heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

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.
  
• Santa Monica Canyon Creek at Will Rogers State Beach
  Near Will Rogers Tower 18. 100 yards up and down the coast of the creek
  
• 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.
  
• Avalon Beach at Catalina Island
  50 feet east of the pier. Swim area east of Green Pleasure Pier.