Increased Fire Risk & High Temps Through Weekend

LAKE ELSINORE, CA —Hot and dry conditions will create an elevated fire risk Friday through Sunday throughout Riverside County, according to the National Weather Service.

High pressure will continue to build Friday and daytime humidity will drop to between 10 to 15% in the inland valleys and between 7 to 10% in the deserts, forecasters said.

Santa Ana winds are expected Friday and gusts could reach as high as 35 mph.

High temperatures Friday could reach 110 degrees in the Coachella Valley, 108 in the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, 102 in Riverside, 95 in Temecula and 102 in Hemet.

The mercury will continue to rise on Saturday, eventually reaching a peak of 112 in the Coachella Valley and 104 in the Riverside metropolitan area, forecasters said. Humidity will be slightly higher throughout the county on Saturday.

Cooling centers are open daily across the county, providing residents who do not live in climate-controlled environments a free, cool space to relax until the evening hours. A complete list of cooling centers is available here.

A deep trough of low pressure is expected to move south along the West Coast by the end of the weekend, bringing cooler temperatures Sunday through the middle of next week, forecasters said.

ALSO SEE: Riverside Area 2nd For Extreme Wildfire Risk In West US: Report

--City News Service