Study predicts more hot spells in Southern California

UCLA researchers say the number of days topping 95 degrees each year will jump by as much as five times. The study could help local governments prepare for extreme temperatures and reduce risk to residents, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says.

By the middle of the century, the number of days with temperatures above 95 degrees each year will triple in downtown Los Angeles, quadruple in portions of the San Fernando Valley and even jump five-fold in a portion of the High Desert in L.A. County, according to a new UCLA climate change study.