See the heat: Pictures of Angelenos greeting August’s warm debut

A familiar late-summer cocktail of high temperatures, gusty winds and low humidity will create hazardous conditions this week, prompting the National Weather Service to caution about elevated fire risk for the Southland’s valleys, mountains and deserts.

With a meager to nonexistent marine layer putting little moisture in the air, the sun will be shining hot on Southern California this week. People are advised to drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned place whenever possible, avoid the sun and check on relatives and neighbors.

But for some, Monday’s heat was an invitation to play with water, seek shade or even cool off with an ice-cold snack.

Yaretzi Avila, 5, left, and Diana Avila, 4, play with kites at Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area on Aug. 3, 2021 in Irwindale, CA.

(Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

Temperatures are expected to reach triple digits in lower mountain ranges and valleys — five to 10 degrees hotter than usual, the weather service reported. Some of the worst of the heat will be in the Antelope Valley and southern Santa Barbara County, where temperatures are likely to hover between 95 and 105 degrees, according to the weather service.

“Basically we have an area of high pressure sitting over Southern California that, combined with [the] local wind pattern, are preventing the marine layer and sea breeze from providing much relief,” weather service meteorologist David Sweet said.

The fear in such heat, as always, is that a discarded cigarette or stray spark will ignite dried-out brush, and winds will quickly fan the flames into a wildfire like the Hungry fire, which began in northern Los Angeles County on Saturday. That fire spread to 340 acres, but county fire crews had it 55% contained as of Sunday night.

The worst of the weather will probably taper off Wednesday. After that, Sweet said, expect “gradual cooling through the end of the week and then better cooling over the weekend as our natural air conditioner comes back — marine layer and sea breeze.”

Brian Park, 27, takes a break from classes at CSUN to practice a Kickflip on his skateboard on Aug. 2 at Porter Ranch Park. “I’ve been skating since I was a little kid but since Covid, I’m picking it up again. But it’s getting too hot today,” Park said.

(Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)

Zoe Popoch, 14, creates a splash while cooling off on a lawn water slide at Sherman Oaks Recreation Center.

(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

Acting manager Jesse Mercado signals that orders are ready at Manantial Frozen Treats in Palmdale as the Antelope Valley sweltered in triple-digit temperature on Aug. 2.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Gianmarco Bedon, 19, plays the basketball game of “HORSE” with his friend Joseph Blair on Aug. 2 at Porter Ranch Park. The friends are home from college during summer break.

(Al Seib/Los Angeles Times)

Pedestrians seek shade on North Hill Street on Aug. 2 in downtown Los Angeles.

(Madeleine Hordinski/Los Angeles Times)

Michael Berns, 77, loses his hat while practicing his serve on a tennis court in Sherman Oaks on a hot Monday afternoon.

(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

Team Hula Girls plays Disney+ in the Charlie Saikley Jr. Six-Man Beach Volleyball Tournament at Manhattan Beach on Aug. 1.

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

A child goes down the water slide at the Hubert H. Humphrey Recreation Center in Pacoima on Aug. 2.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

People stay cool in the shade at the Hubert H. Humphrey Recreation Center in Pacoima on Aug. 2.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

Aika Jh of Sherman Oaks stretches in the shade next to her dog Bridgette Barko.

(Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

Reporting by Faith E. Pinho. Photo editing by Jacob Moscovitch.