Enjoy the mild temperatures Tuesday while you can — forecasters say a significant heat wave is on the way for Santee and East County, with the potential to break March temperature records by the end of the week.

According to the National Weather Service in San Diego, a ridge of high pressure is forecast to move into the region beginning Wednesday, pushing temperatures sharply higher. Inland valley communities can expect highs in the 80s by midweek, intensifying Thursday and Friday as the high-pressure system strengthens. Some inland areas could see temperatures 15 to 25 degrees above normal, with communities like Ramona potentially approaching or exceeding 100 degrees. Even coastal areas could see highs well into the 80s. The NWS said the heat may persist into early next week.

"Daily record highs are expected for several locations from Thursday onward," NWS San Diego posted Monday on X. "Well above normal temps will likely last through the weekend and beyond."

CalFire is urging residents to take advantage of Tuesday's cooler weather to complete yard work and defensible space maintenance before fire danger ramps up later in the week. Over the weekend, hot, windy, and dry conditions produced two brush fires in San Diego County — a canyon fire near Birdland that required more than 80 firefighters and a helicopter to contain at two acres, and a second fire near Interstate 805 that was quickly extinguished.

"The perfect recipe — the fuel, the weather, the temperature — anytime these three come into play, we really start looking at resources and ramping up," said CalFire Captain Tom Piranio. Fire officials advise completing outdoor work before 10 a.m. and removing dead and dying vegetation from yards and rooflines. East County communities, with their dry chaparral landscapes, are particularly susceptible to wind-driven fire spread.