Meteorological summer is officially underway, and experts say it's going to be hotter than last year in Southern California.

June 1 marks the start of summer for meteorologists and climatologists. This means the seasons get broken down into three-month periods based on the annual temperature cycle and calendar year.

Long-range forecasters at AccuWeather say we can expect a hotter summer compared to last year -- with the main difference being how late into the summer that heat could last.

They say we could still see temperatures in the 90s or triple-digit heat into late September or early October, meaning it could be a pretty warm start to the fall, as well.

They base the studies on previous weather patterns, and say strong high pressure is expected to build in the southwest, then expand northward -- with offshore winds contributing to the heat lasting longer.

July 2006 was the fifth-hottest month on record for Downtown Los Angeles.

In September of 2020, we broke a few all-time heat records. The National Weather Service initially reported that Woodland Hills hit 121 degrees, although now, records show the all-time high there is 120.

Burbank also hit an all-time high of 114 degrees in the summer of 2020.

Just last September, we had the fourth-hottest seven-day stretch on record.

The astronomical start to summer begins June 20 -- also known as the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year.