San Diego was among the hottest places on Earth on Saturday.
No, really.
The 105-degree high beat the 103 degrees logged in Mexicali, sure, but also in Dubai. That’s not to mention the 102-degree high in Basra. Yes, Iraq.
But did somewhere else in the Middle East take the crown? Nope – it was North County’s own Vista, with a high of 108.
Southern Californians can officially feel vindicated after a weekend of complaining.
Both Saturday and Sunday reached triple digits. Two consecutive days of over 100-degree weather has only happened twice since 1875, when the National Weather Service started collecting data – once in late October 1965 and late September 1963.
There has been only one recorded instance of three consecutive days of triple-digit temperatures in San Diego. That was late September 1939.
Despite unavoidable talk of El Niño — this heat wave isn’t related to that weather system, said Adam Roser, a NWS meteorologist.
It’s still hot all the way to the beaches today, but temperatures are running a few degrees cooler than yesterday—the start of a subtle coastal cooling trend. Inland areas will stay very hot through Friday before significant relief arrives this weekend. https://t.co/36XYf4nkkV
— NWS San Diego (@NWSSanDiego) October 5, 2026
The heat San Diego is experiencing is the result of a high-pressure system and Santa Ana winds, he said. Wind from the east mountains traveled down into the valleys and compressed, which turned the dials on our thermometers.
Relief, though, is just around the corner.
Monday and Tuesday will likely hover around the same highs, but not quite as warm as Sunday, with the coast staying in the nineties.
Wednesday and Thursday, he said they’re keeping an eye out for the marine layer to rebuild, which means the coast will feel a few more degrees of cooling, potentially sticking around 80 degrees.
Friday, the valleys will likely catch a break from triple digits and dip into the nineties. As the weekend rolls in, a low pressure system is forecasted as well. This means that significant cooling will follow, Roser said, and that areas west of the mountains will likely see temperatures in the 80s.
By the end of the upcoming weekend, Roser said San Diego should be back to our base 70s.
Then the complaining will cease. Unless we get too cold.
