The National Weather Service office in Hanford has placed a large stretch of Southern California desert under an Extreme Heat Warning through Wednesday evening, forecasting daytime highs of up to 112 degrees and overnight lows that will not drop below 75. The warning took effect Monday late morning and runs until 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The affected forecast zones are the Indian Wells Valley, the Mojave Desert and the Mojave Desert Slopes, covering communities including Ridgecrest, California City, Mojave, Inyokern, Randsburg, Rosamond and Edwards Air Force Base. Forecasters describe the conditions as dangerously hot with several days of major to extreme heat risk, and their impact statement is direct: "Heat-related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat events."
