This Heat Wave Is Going To Get Worse Before It Gets Better

Angelenos across the city are already feeling the heat, and things are unfortunately going to get worse before they get better. Sunday will continue to bake, but the heat wave won't reach its blistering crescendo until Monday, the first official day of summer. Here's a little more info on what's in store for the next two days, and how to stay safe.There will be widespread triple-digit temperatures pretty much everywhere away from the immediate coast tomorrow, according to the National Weather Service, who are also forecasting a strong chance of record-breaking heat. According to the L.A. Times, our city's record high for June occurred in 1973, when the temperature reached 106 downtown.

Meteorologists are attributing the rise in temperatures to an unusually strong high-pressure system compressing over the Southland, but it's unusual to see this kind of thing this early in the summer.

“These kinds of high-pressure systems, we usually expect in mid-to-late summer,” Bill Patzert, a climate scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, told the Long Beach Press-Enterprise. “The hottest months are usually August and September and in June we often expect ‘June Gloom.’ ... May and June tend to be our mildest months.”

The National Weather Service has also issued extreme fire danger warnings in the Los Angeles/Ventura County Mountain areas for Sunday through Tuesday. So what should you do? First of all, limit outdoor activity, especially in the middle of the day when the heat is strongest.

If you must be outside, slow down and avoid strenuous activities until a cooler time of day. Drink plenty of water even if you aren't feeling thirsty. Wear lightweight, loose fitting clothes and try to minimize direct exposure to the sun. Besides for being mad uncomfortable, a sunburn will also reduce your body's ability to dissipate heat.

Check on your neighbors. If you don't have AC at home, consider a visit to a library or mall, and if you feel like splashing around, here are six of our favorite public pools in L.A.

Watch out for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke—children and the elderly are especially vulnerable. In particular, be on the lookout for muscle cramping, which is often the first sign of heat-related illness. Here's a little breakdown of how to recognize it and what to do, from our friends at the NWS:

If you or someone you know has heat stroke, call 911 immediately. Also (and somewhat counterintuitively) anyone with heat stroke should not be given liquids.

And please, please don't leave any people or pets in a parked car, even for a short period of time.

Power outages are also a possibility, according to the L.A. Times, and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is urging customers to conserve energy use whenever possible. "During times of extreme heat, we strongly encourage customers to conserve electricity as long as it does not jeopardize their health,'' DWP General Manager Marcie Edwards told City News Service. "Doing simple things such as turning up your thermostat to 78 degrees and turning off your lights will save electricity use and reduce the risk of outages."

Stay safe out there, Los Angeles.