Though autumn has been underway for four days, the San Diego area sweltered under a summery heat wave again Monday, courtesy of a high-pressure system lingering over the Mountain States on the eve of a predicted cool-down later in the week.
RELATED: Coronado Schools On Minimum Day Schedule Due To Hot Weather
The toasty temperatures, dry conditions and Santa Ana winds, part of a hot spell that kicked in over the weekend, prompted the National Weather Service to issue a "red flag" wildfire warning for part of the day. Improving conditions allowed the federal agency to rescinded the alert at 3 p.m.
A heat advisory for the coast and valleys, meanwhile, will end at 8 p.m., and a wind advisory for the mountains and valleys — indicating potential for winds of 20 to 30 mph, along with gusts that could reach 50 mph near the foothills and 60 mph in the mountains — was due to expire in the early evening.
High temperatures prompted the Coronado Unified School District to decide to cut classes short Monday and let students out at 12:30 p.m. Many of the peninsula community's classrooms are not air-conditioned.
Authorities advised the public to limit strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day and to check up on the elderly or heat-sensitive people.
Temperatures were expected to begin heading back toward seasonal norms Tuesday as upper-level low pressure over the Baja Peninsula brings increasing moisture and a slow cooling trend, according to meteorologists.
