LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Angelenos braced for a winter day with record or near record-setting heat, as temperatures crossed above 85 degrees at some beaches by noon yesterday.

And with ocean temperatures of between 59 and 63 degrees, beaches were jammed with people seeking some cool.

At noon, it was 84 degrees in Woodland Hills, Burbank and downtown Los Angeles. Those heading to the coast found 86 degrees at Torrance, 80 at Venice, 83 at Pacific Palisades and 82 at Leo Carrillo Beach in Malibu.

“We’ve got a pretty good crowd out there,” said “ Los Angeles County Lifeguard Capt. Mike McIlroy in Santa Monica.

“Anytime we get large crowds like this, the potential of medical calls and rescues goes up,” he told City News Service. “All this week we’ve made a number of ocean rescues.”

Temperatures on the sand were above 80 by noon, he said. “It’s 74 degrees inside the (lifeguard) station. So it’s probably a good 10 degrees higher out there.”

PCH was predictably jammed at Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica, and Malibu Canyon Road was backed up into Calabasas at midday.

The National Weather Service said temperatures would climb to near-record levels, and today should be a very warm day due to weak offshore winds and a high pressure system aloft.

Coastal and valley areas might get some cooling Sunday and Monday, but inland areas like Pomona or Lancaster will see persistent heat into Monday, the NWS warned.

For next week, cooler and moister air from the ocean will flow into the area Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and showers were possible north of Los Angeles Wednesday. But no rain was held likely here.

More dry heat was predicted for next weekend.