Temperatures in the desert region are expected to cool off slightly Thursday following this week’s brutal heat wave.
An excessive heat warning covering the Coachella Valley, the San Gorgonio Pass, Imperial County and eastern San Diego County expired at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Wednesday was the second day in a row temperature records were shattered in Riverside County, according to the National Weather Service. Thermal reached 118 degrees Wednesday, breaking a record of 113 degrees set for June 12 in 1979. Palm Springs matched a 1940 record temperature of 117 degrees.
On Tuesday, Thermal reached 116 degrees, surpassing another 1979 record of 114. Palm Springs also matched a record from 1940 on Tuesday at 114 degrees.
Western Riverside County was nearly as hot on Tuesday, with temperatures making it to 106 degrees in Riverside and Hemet. The heat dropped to the 90s in most of the area on Wednesday.
Temperatures were expected to be somewhat lower for the rest of the week, with highs between 104 and 107 expected on Thursday. Temperatures will drop into the low 100s in the desert and into the 80s in the Inland Empire by the weekend, the NWS said.
The city of Palm Springs opened a temporary overnight shelter amid the scorching conditions Tuesday night, and will offer it for one more night.
The shelter at 3601 E. Mesquite Ave will be open to “anyone who needs it” Thursday evening between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.
