FIRST ALERT: Tracking extreme and record heat this week

A very strong and unseasonable ridge of high pressure will move in this week, bringing in triple-digit heat along with record-breaking temperatures.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA-TV)- A historic March heat wave is going to be taking over this week, bringing in exteme heat all week long here in the Desert Southwest.

A Weather Authority First Alert is in place through Wednesday to prepare for hotter temperatures. Then we will transition into a Weather Authority First Alert ACTION Day Thursday-Sunday because that's when we will need to take ACTION from the heat.

A very strong ridge of high pressure will move in by the middle of the week, rapidly heating up our temperatures. We will have temperatures trending 20-30 degrees above-average.

We are already breaking records! Yuma broke a new daily record WARM LOW this morning! El Centro was very close to either tying or breaking their record warm low. Take a look.

An Extreme Heat WARNING is issued for 11 a.m. Thursday- 8 p.m. Sunday for the entire Desert Southwest for moderate and major heat risks. Highs will be trending between 103-109 degrees.

With this round of extreme heat, we will need to take ACTION to prevent heat-related illness throughout the day.

Take a look at our heat safety tips!

Ready or not, but hotter temperatures will be here very soon, and it's not even spring yet! I am tracking summer-like temperatures later this week, and to kick off the first day of spring.

Daytime highs and overnight lows are going to rise as the week continues, and I am watching for multiple days where record-breaking temperatures are going to be very likely.

A Weather Authority First Alert Action Day will also go into effect later this week due to the hot and unseasonable weather.

FIRST 100-degree STATS: It's very rare to see triple-digits in mid-March. Take a look at our average, first, and latest on record, where Yuma and El Centro first hit the 100-degree mark.