CALIFORNIA - A March heat wave set new temperature records across California this past weekend, with cities around the state beating records that have been in place for as many as 60 years.

Salinas and Santa Maria beat former maximum temperature records by as much as 7 degrees, with some cities reaching 27 degrees above standard averages, according to the National Weather Advisory.

The heat wave is caused by a high-pressure system moving across the state, according to the National Weather Service.

According to the Monterey Herald, on Friday Salinas tied the record for highest temperature set in 1947 by reaching 85 degrees.

The National Weather Service also reported record highs in Southern Califonia. Downtown LA saw a high of 92, breaking the record of 85 set in 1978 and the Long Beach Airport reached 92 degrees, breaking the record of 86 set in 1978. In Orange County, Santa Ana’s temperature of 92 degrees eclipsed the record of 89 set in 1931, according to the LA Daily News.

Forecasters warned the heat will continue to strain water resources because of the drought. As California’s wet season draws to a close with little wetness, the hot weather is not helping its extreme drought, according to the Monterey Herald.

“It’s certainly not going to help. The more dry days we have, the more it aggravates the conditions,” said Diana Henderson, a National Weather Service forecaster.

As the weekend passes, so will the heat. Forecasters expect mid-60s temperatures all the rest of this week.

Stay tuned to AndNowUKnow for the latest updates on this California heat wave...