Can’t stand the heat? Get in the water

Spring is only a week old, but the weather Thursday seemed more like summer in some parts of Southern California.

The temperature soared in Fullerton, where it was 94 degrees at 1 p.m. Long Beach hit 93, and downtown Los Angeles recorded 91.

The Newport-Mesa area got off easier. The temperature was 84 in Costa Mesa and Irvine at 4 p.m., and in coastal Newport Beach, it was a relatively cool 78.

Friday’s high temperatures in those cities are forecast to be in the low to upper 80s.

As high pressure builds over the region and offshore winds develop, a hot air mass is pushing temperatures up, forecasters said. The heat signals a trend of above-normal temperatures for the next three months, they said.

In the short term, however, temperatures are expected to ease Saturday and Sunday, with highs in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa and Irvine in the mid-70s to low 80s.

—From staff reports