The Texas Heat Wave Is Heading North This Week
A scorching heat wave that has roasted the Gulf for much of June is likely to head upwards to Northern Texas and other nearby states. Oklahoma, a lot of the Mississippi Valley, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle are going to be especially hot this week, Bob Oravec, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, told the Associated Press.
There are currently heat warnings and advisories throughout Southern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma, according to the National Weather Service. And just like last week, it’s pretty damn hot in Texas today, and current temperatures could signify what nearby states can expect this coming week. The Fort Worth metropolitan area is under a heat advisory as it experiences temperatures up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 degrees Celsius) today, and heat indices up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius). Austin and San Antonio are expected to see ongoing heat advisories for the coming days. Both cities can expect temperatures up to 103 degrees Fahrenheit (39.4 degrees Celsius) today.
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The incoming heat is expected to stick around for days because it’s the result of a heat dome, the Associated Press reported. The “dome” is used to describe an area with high pressure that sits over a region, trapping the hot air there. People in households with little access to air conditioning, and in areas that don’t see a dip in temperatures at night are more at risk for health issues like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
The ongoing heat also strains infrastructure, making it harder to meet energy demands for everyone in the affected areas. The spreading heat wave comes after a lot of Texas has already had to sweat it out for a lot of this month. The state’s grid has withered under the heat of the ongoing heat waves in the Gulf. Just last week, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the state’s grid operator, asked residents to voluntarily lower their energy usage during peak hours. Around that time, more than 50,000 customers in the state were involuntarily without power, according to Poweroutage.us.
Other communities throughout the U.S. are going to see climbing temperatures too as June comes to a close. “Warmer weather is on the way, especially later this week into the 4th of July,” Los Angeles’ NWS station tweeted this past weekend. “While temperatures near the coast will still be near normal, inland areas will be heating up.”
Northern California might even see temperatures climb into the triple digits later this week. “Now is the time to plan ahead for adequate cooling & hydration, especially if you have outdoor plans for the holiday weekend,” the Sacramento NWS station tweeted today.
Want more climate and environment stories? Check out Earther’s guides to decarbonizing your home, divesting from fossil fuels, packing a disaster go bag, and overcoming climate dread. And don’t miss our coverage of the latest IPCC climate report, the future of carbon dioxide removal, and the invasive plants you should rip to shreds.
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