Austin and College Station have seen 100-degree weather for a month, setting records.
The National Weather Service’s forecast for extreme heat Wednesday.
They say that everything’s bigger in Texas, and apparently that includes summertime heat. The Lone Star State has been grappling with excessive heat for most of the summer, setting countless records for both the intensity and duration of extreme temperatures.
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A number of major Texas cities have been facing triple-digit highs for six weeks or more. The blistering temperatures are combining with oppressive humidity to push heat indexes to 120 degrees in some areas.
“This is getting close to ridiculous territory,” tweeted David Reese, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Brownsville, Tex.
The extreme warmth stems from the same “heat dome,” or stagnant high pressure ridge, that helped Phoenix log a month straight of 110-degree high temperatures and become the first major American city to ever set an average monthly temperature over 100 degrees.
Excessive-heat warnings blanket much of Texas and extend into Louisiana, Mississippi and most of Florida. More than 45 million Americans will face triple-digit heat in the next week. Between San Angelo and Abilene, Tex., highs near 110 degrees are anticipated.
Heat alerts issued by the National Weather Service. (Pivotal Weather)
“Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities,” warned the Weather Service.
Heat is setting records for longevity
The duration of the heat is setting records in Texas. Austin and College Station have ongoing record streaks at or above 100 degrees of 32 and 31 days, respectively.
Earlier in the summer, El Paso managed a record 44 straight 100-degree days. The city has tallied 54 hundred-degree days so far this year compared with the record of 62 in 1994. That record could be in jeopardy, with numerous 100-degree days in the forecast.
