Tropical heat wave expected to start today and continue through weekend

SAN DIEGO COUNTY - The heat is on its way. A return of monsoonal swelter out of Mexico will create stifling swelter and thunderstorms across the San Diego area beginning (today) Wednesday, August 12, and continuing through the weekend, forecasters have advised.

The toasty temperatures and pronounced humidity will increase through the end of the workweek, and the hot spell will peak just in time to make Saturday and Sunday oppressively balmy in many spots, particularly inland locales, according to the National Weather Service.

Temperatures over the period are expected to range from the mid-70s to low-80s along the coast, mid-80s to mid-90s in the western valleys, high 80s to just over 100 near the foothills and in the mountains, and up to 115 in the deserts, the NWS reported.

The tropical atmosphere will generate lightning and areas of heavy rainfall in the East County highlands on Wednesday and Thursday, and to a lesser degree over the following several days, meteorologists predicted.

The sultry conditions are due to ease up a bit around the beginning of next workweek, according to the NWS.