The East Coast has earthquakes and Hurricane Irene to worry about -- while we have excessive heat through the weekend with the possibility of thunderstorms that could ignite brush, followed by flooding. Nobody's telling when the rain of frogs will occur. National Weather Service shouts:
DAYTIME HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO EXCEED 100 DEGREES OVER MANY VALLEY AND LOWER MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS AS A DOMINANT HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM REMAINS OVER THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. SUNDAY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE HOTTEST AS THE RIDGE PEAKS IN INTENSITY.
A SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL MOISTEN THE AIR MASS TODAY AND INCREASE HUMIDITIES OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL COMBINE WITH THE HOT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES TO CREATE MORE HUMID CONDITIONS AND POSSIBLY PRODUCE POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS HEAT INDEX VALUES. HEAT INDEX IS A MEASURE OF HOW HOT IT REALLY FEELS. THE HIGHEST HEAT INDEX VALUES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY VALLEYS AND MOUNTAINS... WHERE VALUES BETWEEN 100 AND 107 ARE POSSIBLE. SUCH HIGH HEAT INDEX VALUES MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO REMAIN COOL... AND POSES A POTENTIALLY FATAL RISK FOR HEAT ILLNESS AND FATIGUE...ESPECIALLY FOR THE HOMELESS...ELDERLY...AND PEOPLE WORKING OUTDOORS.
THE BEACHES WILL REMAIN A SOURCE OF RELIEF... WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES MAINLY IN THE 70S...EXCEPT 60S ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST. IN ADDITION TO INCREASING HEAT INDEX VALUES...THE ADDED MOISTURE WILL BRING A POSSIBILITY FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA. A DISTURBANCE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTH OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THIS MORNING...AND MAY RESULT IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SPREADING OVER THE AREA BY TONIGHT.
ANOTHER DISTURBANCE WILL BRING A REPEAT POSSIBILITY FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER LOS ANGELES AND VENTURA COUNTIES LATE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY. ANY THUNDERSTORM THAT FORMS EARLY TODAY COULD PRODUCE DRY LIGHTNING...WHICH CREATES A RISK FOR FIRE IGNITION. AS THE AIR MASS MOISTEN THIS AFTERNOON...THE THREAT FOR DRY LIGHTNING WILL DIMINISH. HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FLOODING WILL BECOME POSSIBLE AS THE AIR MASS MOISTENS THIS AFTERNOON.
