Winter heat wave sends temperatures into the 90s in Southern California

LOS ANGELES (AP) — With spring still a week away, it was already starting to feel like summer Thursday in Southern California as temperatures topped 90 degrees (32 Celsius) — an unusual March heat wave that forecasters warned could put people at higher risk for illness.

It's expected to be about 20 degrees warmer than normal for mid-March through Friday, the National Weather Service said. Officials opened cooling centers and urged residents to drink a lot of water and avoid outdoor activities during the daytime.

The winter heat wave comes from a combination of high pressure and a lack of cooling winds blowing in from the Pacific Ocean, said Bryan Lewis, a meteorologist at the weather service's office for Los Angeles.

“The nation’s air conditioner, as we like to call it, is essentially shut off right now,” Lewis said Thursday. “We’ll likely tie or break several temperature records all across LA County."

The hottest day around Los Angeles will be Thursday, with the mercury hitting 91 degrees (32.7 Celsius) shortly after noon in some neighborhoods. It could reach 95 degrees (35 Celsius) in the San Fernando Valley, Lewis said. Temperatures are typically around 70 (21 Celsius).

Workers doing outdoor construction will have plenty of drinking water and electrolyte packets available to stay hydrated. Shade structures were erected Thursday at a job site near LA's MacArthur Park and overheated workers were encouraged to sit in air conditioned vehicles to cool down, said supervisor Ron Marsh.

“If somebody doesn't feel well, we tell them to take breaks," Marsh said. “We do take it very seriously.”

Zack Marquez, who uses a wheelchair, was taking care of errands Wednesday before it got too hot in LA's Koreatown neighborhood.

“Gotta stay hydrated and stay in the shade,” he said.

A sea breeze on Friday should cool down the coast slightly, but inland areas will still swelter, forecasters said.

Celebrities are streaming into Los Angeles ahead of Sunday’s Oscars, with a bevy of events this week taking advantage of the concentration of stars. But the worst of the weather should be over in time for the ceremony.

The rest of the state will also see hotter-than-normal weather starting next week. Temperatures could top 90 (32 Celsius) on Monday around San Francisco and in the Sacramento area.

A street vendor uses an egg carton to shield from from during an unseasonably hot day at MacArthur Park on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

A woman covers herself from the sun while handing out fliers during an unseasonably hot day at MacArthur Park on Thursday, March 12, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

People cover themselves from the heat with umbrellas while waiting at a food distribution site Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

People cover themselves from the heat with umbrellas while waiting to receive food items at a donation site Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

People cover themselves from the heat with umbrellas while waiting at a food distribution site Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Food is distributed at a donation site during an unseasonably warm day Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

ARAFAT, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims from around the world congregated on Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, the second official day of the annual Islamic pilgrimage, considered the pinnacle of the Hajj.

Despite the sweltering heat, the pilgrims gathered on the rocky hill and surrounding plain for intense prayers and worship that often mark a spiritual peak for them. They fervently murmured prayers and poured their hearts out in supplications. Many raised their hands in worship. It is common for pilgrims on that day, some with tears streaming down their faces, to ask God for forgiveness, mercy, blessings and good health.

The Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is required once in a lifetime for every Muslim who can afford it and is physically able to perform it.

For pilgrims, the Hajj, performed over several days, can be a deeply moving spiritual experience and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. As they brave the intense heat to perform religious rituals, many pilgrims have been using umbrellas for shade.

A Saudi official said on Friday that more than 1.5 million pilgrims have arrived in the country from abroad.

This year, Muslims have been pouring into Saudi Arabia for the Hajj against the backdrop of a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war and related uncertainty in the region.

The U.S. military said Monday that it carried out “self-defense” strikes in southern Iran, including on missile launch sites and boats used to lay mines, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that negotiations with Tehran were “proceeding nicely." Iran on Tuesday denounced the most recent U.S. strikes as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations pressed on toward a possible deal to end the war.

For many, performing the Hajj can be a realization of a lifelong dream as they spend years hoping and praying to one day be able to undertake the pilgrimage or saving up money and waiting for a permit to embark on the trip.

“This happens once in a lifetime,” Mohammad Asal, an Egyptian pilgrim, said. “People here have prepared their prayers, hoping that God will respond to them, because we know that ... the most important ritual of the Hajj is being in Arafat.”

The Hajj brings together large numbers of Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and socioeconomic classes, creating a sense of unity for many. It’s a mass, communal experience, with Muslims performing rituals together. But it is also deeply personal, as every pilgrim brings their own yearnings and experiences.

“It was incredible,” Ahmed Sufyan, a pilgrim from the United States, said on Tuesday. “The unity and peace that we feel is something I’ve never experienced before,” he added via WhatsApp.

“Our wishes are many,” Mohammad Obaid, a Sudanese pilgrim, said, adding he was praying for Sudan and Muslims everywhere.

Fam reported from Winter Park, Florida.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

A Muslim pilgrim pray atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims walk towards the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims are silhouetted as they pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims pray at top of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

Muslim pilgrims read a copy of Islam's holy book Quran atop of the rocky hill known as the Mountain of Mercy, on the Plain of Arafat, during the annual Hajj pilgrimage near the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)