California's most significant heat wave of summer peaked in most of the Bay Area on Thursday and a cooldown will begin Friday, but not all at once.

With a blazing heat wave expected to sweep through much of California starting this weekend, the state and Kern County are taking preemptive measures to address concerns of heightened wildfire risks.

LADWP and Southern California Edison officials have been asking customers to conserve energy due to the strain on the system.

"Dangerously hot conditions" are expected for much of the region as LA and Ventura counties face conditions favorable for "explosive fire behavior."

Northern California's second heat wave of the year is set to continue Thursday, with the possibility of the hottest day of the year so far during this stretch of triple-digit temperatures.

Temperature over the past ~2 weeks have mostly been warmer than average across the Southwest, once again, including most of the California interior (but excluding portions of the California coast). Notably,

The report, released this week, found that 58% of fast-food workers surveyed in July said they had worked in excessive heat conditions in the last year. And nearly half, or 48%, reported experiencing heat illness symptoms including headaches, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, muscle pain or nausea.