L.A. forecast: Triple-digit heat inland, 80s at the beach

It’s about to get hot in L.A.

A high-pressure system broiling over the Southwest’s Four Corner states is pushing westward and bringing with it a spike in temperatures.

The heat will peak Thursday with temperatures in the 90s downtown and triple digits in the valleys and inland areas, such as Palmdale and Woodland Hills, where it could reach 103 degrees, said Stuart Seto, a specialist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. In Ventura County, it could hit 100 degrees Wednesday and 102 Thursday in Ojai.

The heat wave, however, will make for some “excellent beach weather,” with temperatures in the 80s along the coast, Seto said.

The heat will stick around through Monday, ensuring warm, sunny weather before a low-pressure system starts bringing cloud cover to the region on Tuesday, Seto said.

The high-pressure system will only add to what has already been hot year. The first six months of 2014 were the hottest January-through-June on record in California — nearly five degrees warmer than the 20th century average and more than a degree hotter than the record set in 1934, according to the National Weather Service.

Across the state, the bone-dry and hot conditions have been contributing to the eruption of more wildfires than usual. Through Saturday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported more than 3,400 vegetation fires, which had burned more than 51,000 acres combined. An average year would see about 2,500 fires, with 30,000 acres scorched, said CalFire Capt. Amy Head.

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna.