Extreme Heat Warning Hits Manhattan Beach As NOAA Reports Record Summer

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — An Extreme Heat Warning took effect in Manhattan Beach Wednesday, with temperatures forecast to reach 87 degrees as federal climate officials announced the nation had just experienced its warmest summer on record.

The National Weather Service warning remains in effect until 8 p.m. Thursday for Los Angeles County beaches and several other parts of the region.

Manhattan Beach is expected to cool only to about 74 degrees Wednesday night before temperatures reach 83 degrees Thursday. The high is forecast to fall to about 79 degrees Friday.

Record-Breaking Summer

The heat warning coincided with the release Wednesday of new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showing summer 2026 was the warmest on record for the contiguous United States.

The average temperature from June through August was 74.4 degrees, 3 degrees above the 20th-century average, according to NOAA. That was 0.4 degrees warmer than the previous record of 74 degrees, set in 1936 and matched in 2021. NOAA's records date to 1895.

August alone was also the warmest August on record across the contiguous U.S., averaging 75.6 degrees.

California did not set a record for the entire summer, but the state experienced its warmest August on record. California also recorded its warmest average daytime highs and nighttime lows for any August, NOAA said.

Dangerous Conditions At The Beach

Anyone heading to the beach to escape the heat also faces potentially dangerous ocean conditions.

A Beach Hazards Statement remains in effect along Los Angeles County beaches until 3 a.m. Thursday because of dangerous rip currents and breaking waves caused by elevated surf. Earlier High Surf and Coastal Flood advisories have expired.

The National Weather Service warned that rip currents can pull swimmers and surfers out to sea and that waves could wash people off beaches and rocks or capsize small boats near shore.

Officials advised people to stay out of the water because of hazardous swimming conditions or remain near occupied lifeguard towers. Beachgoers were also advised to stay off rock jetties.