Third day of blistering heat blankets Southern California

A third day of blistering heat is expected in Southern California on Wednesday before slightly tapering off for the weekend.

Inland and desert regions will continue to bake, National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Wofford said, with some places expected to hover around previous daily record highs on Wednesday: 107 in Woodland Hills and 110 in Lancaster. Antelope Valley could reach a high of 113 and Santa Clarita could hit 108 degrees.

Coastal California will begin to see a break, with beaches cooling slightly to 73 degrees in Malibu, 75 in Long Beach and 79 in Santa Barbara, the weather service predicted.

“It will be a few degrees cooler, but still hot,” Wofford said.

An excessive-heat warning is in effect through 9 p.m. Friday in the mountains of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, excluding the Santa Monica range.

Still, Wednesday marks the beginning of a cooling trend, which should last into next week, Wofford said. The breeze from the ocean is picking up, bringing with it cooler temperatures.

“The last couple of days, we haven’t had as much of a sea breeze as we normally do,” Wofford said.

The California Independent System Operator, which monitors power lines across the state, said in a news release that it may issue a flex alert between 4 and 9 p.m. Wednesday to reduce energy usage during a strain on the state’s grid.

Residents should conserve energy as much as possible to avoid power outages, the release said. They should set thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, avoid using high-energy appliances and turn off unnecessary lighting.

Many libraries, senior centers and community spaces around Los Angeles County are open and available to serve as a cool space for residents to escape the heat. Helen Chavez, associate director of the county’s Office of Emergency Management, recommended that people find a cooling center near them and call to ensure that the hours posted online are correct.

Several places across the Southland reached daily record highs Tuesday, with 96 degrees in Anaheim, 120 in Palm Springs, 117 in Borrego Springs, 107 in San Jacinto, 89 in Big Bear and 107 in Palmdale.