Heat wave expected to break Monday

The heat wave that has scorched Southern California for several days is expected to ebb starting Monday as temperatures cool and humidity falls.

The region will have cooled as much as 15 degrees by midweek after reaching highs of 93 in downtown Los Angeles, 97 at Getty Center and 108 in Chatsworth on Saturday, forecasters said.

But the heat remained at full strength Sunday, prompting the weekend’s second excessive heat warning from the National Weather Service.

Many took refuge at beaches, pools and air-conditioned shopping malls. Others lay low at home, staying within range of a window fan or shaded patio.

In Norwalk, Joel and Maria Lopez actually relished the heat, which seemed perfect for barbecuing and soaking in their backyard pool.

“It finally feels like summer,” said Joel, a 32-year-old truck driver who was keeping fans running around the clock.

The sizzling weather drew about 100,000 visitors to the sand and surf of Huntington Beach, where lifeguards carried out dozens of rescues as a crew filming a television program for the Weather Channel rode along.

“This has definitely been a busy summer weekend for us,” said city Marine Safety Lt. Mike Beuerlein.

A broken air-conditioning unit left workers at Goldstein’s Bagel Bakery in La Canada Flintridge feeling like they were the ones being baked.

General manager Josie Hernandez sent most employees home because demand for fresh-baked goods seemed to plummet as the temperature shot up. But a few stayed to man the ovens.

“Inside, it’s actually like 100 degrees,” she said as the heat seemed to peak Sunday. “It’s really, really hot, but we have to keep working; we need the money.”

For those seeking cool water to splash in, lifeguards were at the ready. At the Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Pool, workers opened a larger-than-usual shallow end in anticipation of a crush of swimmers.

Forecasters expect the region to cool down a few degrees Monday, followed by bigger drops on Tuesday and Wednesday, when downtown L.A. is expected to settle in at a lukewarm high of 79 degrees.

--

tony.barboza@latimes.com