Ventura County just experienced its hottest August on record.
The latest data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ranked August as the hottest in more than a century for Ventura County. It’s too soon to say whether September will follow the trend, but the National Weather Service reported several daily temperatures already reached record highs earlier this month.
Long-term warming trends likely are one reason for the record heat, experts said.
"We're going to continue to see record-breaking temperatures far more often," said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources.
While temperatures were record-breaking, so was the humidity. Remnants of Hurricane Marie contributed recently,
but an extreme marine heatwave that started months ago in spots led to more humid conditions.
“The heat really didn’t kick in until recently, but the humidity has really been around this whole summer,” Swain said.
What records did Southern California break in August, September?
August and September historically are the region's hottest months and the ones with the most heatwaves.
This August, the NOAA database showed an average temperature of 75.2 degrees Fahrenheit in Ventura County. That’s more than six degrees above average for the month, according to the agency's records.
California, too, marked its hottest month, with an average temperature of 79 degrees. The increasing temperatures can affect people's health, the energy supply and wildfires, officials say.
On Sept. 9, local areas again broke records. Camarillo's high of 99 degrees and Oxnard's 98 topped the previous records set in 2022, according to preliminary figures from the National Weather Service. The Oxnard and Camarillo sites are the only two in the county where historic temperature data is tracked by the weather service.
That came on top of what was already a record-breaking winter locally and throughout the region. December through March was the county’s warmest, the NOAA database showed. The average temperature was 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit in the four-month period, according to the records that date back to the late 1800s.
What weather conditions to expect in Southern California?
This week, temperatures cooled off, dropping back to around normal. The National Weather Service said the forecast calls for a bit of a warm up over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the humidity, while not as extreme as recent weeks, could stick around along the coast, because of the warm ocean temperatures.
Starting midsummer, developing El Niño conditions increasingly contributed to the area's already warmer ocean. The warmer waters near the equator also can mean a wet winter in Southern California.
Officials report the El Niño continues to strengthen, with a very strong – possibly historic – event likely on the way this winter.
Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Ventura County just saw its hottest August. Here's what to expect next
