Today's Gonna Be Another Scorcher

Originally posted at 8:12 a.m. May 15, 2014. Edited with new details.

Temperatures will soar into the 100s today and could set some records amid erratic, gusty winds and single-digit humidity levels, confronting the Southland with a high risk of wildfires for yet another day.

A red flag warning signifying the presence of wildfire conditions will again be in effect in much of Ventura and Los Angeles counties today but this time, not in Orange County, where the warning was allowed to expire Wednesday and where a heat advisory was in force until 6 p.m. The red flag warning, which expires at 8 p.m., also did not extend to the Antelope Valley.

Today's winds will be somewhat weaker than earlier this week but gusts of between 25 and 35 miles per hour are forecast for this morning across the valleys and mountains, according to the National Weather Service.

The region has been swept by Santa Ana winds since Sunday, but a gradual transition to onshore winds is expected through this afternoon, the National Weather Service reported.

"The transitioning winds will create erratic and gusty winds Thursday morning through Thursday afternoon," warned an NWS advisory.

"The combination of erratic winds, record-breaking temperatures ranging 15 to 30 degrees above seasonal normal and single-digit humidity will combine to create red flag warning conditions across most of Ventura and Los Angeles counties."

More record-high temperatures were expected today. Five records for a May 14 were set in Los Angeles County Wednesday: -- 96 degrees at Los Angeles International Airport, breaking the record of 87 set in 1967; -- 99 degrees at downtown Los Angeles/USC, breaking the record of 96 set in 1890; -- 101 degrees at Long Beach Airport, breaking the record of 93 set in 1970; -- 96 degrees at UCLA, breaking the record of 87 set in 1979 and tied last year; and -- 83 degrees at Sandberg, breaking the record of 82 set in 2006 and tied in 2013.

The NWS forecast sunny skies today and highs of 85 on Mount Wilson; 90 in San Clemente; 92 in Newport Beach; 93 in Avalon and Laguna Beach; 95 in Palmdale and at LAX; 96 in Lancaster; 100 in downtown L.A.; 101 in San Gabriel, Woodland Hills, Long Beach, Mission Viejo and Anaheim; 102 in Saugus, Pasadena and Fullerton; and 103 in Burbank and Yorba Linda.

A relatively rapid cooling trend is expected starting Friday. Downtown L.A., for instance, is forecast to have a high of 100 today, 91 Friday, 79 Saturday and 73 Sunday. Burbank, which will be one of the region's warmest communities today with a high of 103, is expected to reach a high of 95 Friday, 83 Saturday and 76 Sunday.

--City News Service