Not quite over: Fresno heat wave will return next week

So much for a four-day heat wave: After Thursday’s predicted high of 100 degrees, Fresno will fall under triple digits on Friday, with a forecast high of 97.

But it is just a momentary relief: The rest of the weekend is forecast to zoom back in triple digits.

The Weather Channel (the same service that’s on iPhones) is predicting that next Tuesday and Wednesday Fresno will see temperatures over 110 degrees. But Scott Rowe, meteorologist at the Hanford office of the National Weather Service, says that’s not likely.

“We don’t think it will be over 110 degrees,” he said Wednesday. Rowe says some computer models used by the weather service showed highs near 110, but others did not, making it hard to give an accurate estimate.

It depends on the high-pressure ridge that’s causing this heat, Rowe says, and how it shifts over the mountains. The closer it is to next week, the better predictions forecasters can make. For now, the NWS predicts next week’s hottest temperatures to stay below 105 degrees.

Fresno Fire Department warns that heat-related illness during heat spells is common.

Most people don’t recognize the symptoms for what they actually are, says Hector Vasquez, spokesman for the Fresno Fire Department.

“People say, ‘Oh, I’m just tired,’ ” Vasquez said, rather than identifying it as a heat-related emergency.

Because of this, it’s hard to know exactly how many people in Fresno have suffered from heat illnesses in the last few weeks. Mistaking their symptoms for something else, most people call 911 or the hospital, Vasquez said.

Vasquez stressed the importance of knowing the symptoms of heat-related illnesses like heat cramps or heat exhaustion. Keep an eye on kids who are playing sports outside, be sure to drink plenty of water, or even a sports drink to help replace electrolytes lost by sweating.

Elsewhere in California, the record-breaking heat wave that sparked two wildfires in the San Gabriel Mountains and cut power to thousands of Los Angeles residents was abating, the National Weather Service said. But like the central San Joaquin Valley, triple-digit highs are possible in Southern California this weekend.

This story was originally published June 22, 2016 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Not quite over: Fresno heat wave will return next week."