Warnings issued as “many” record-breaking temperatures forecast in Texas

Much of Texas is under a heat advisory or excessive heat warning as the state grapples with extreme heat that could break several daily record highs.

As a cold front plunges temperatures as much as 15 degrees below average across the Northeast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, the Southern Plains states will experience temperatures above normal. The heat has prompted the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue several heat-related weather warnings.

On Tuesday morning, the NWS Weather Prediction Center warned that record-breaking heat will continue across Texas and southern Oklahoma for several more days.

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“Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories remain in effect and many daily record high temperatures will be possible as temperatures soar into the 90s and triple digits,” the Weather Prediction Center’s forecast said.

It continued: “Combined with the oppressive humidity, daily maximum heat indices up to 110F will be possible. This will create a dangerous situation for some groups, particularly anyone spending large amounts of time outdoors. They will be at a heightened risk of heat-related illness. Some of the heat is expected to spread into eastern New Mexico by the middle/end of the week.”

According to the NWS HeatRisk, a tool assessing the expected effects of heat in a 24-hour period, extreme heat-related impacts were expected to spread across central and northern Texas through Thursday. On Friday, the extreme impacts are expected to begin dissipating, and they will expire almost completely by the end of the weekend.

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“This level of rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration,” the NWS HeatRisk said about the extreme heat. “Impacts likely in most health systems, heat-sensitive industries and infrastructure.”

Several NWS offices in Texas warned of temperatures well past 100 degrees. Heat indexes as high as 116 degrees were forecast for the Corpus Christi region, which is one of the areas that could break a daily record high with the forecast temperatures.

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NWS meteorologist Brian Field told Newsweek that the average temperature for this time of year is 95 degrees. The NWS office in Corpus Christi has forecast temperatures up to 100. The daily record high for August 20 is 100.

“We are on track to at least tie or break it today,” Field said about the record. “There’s a pretty good chance that could happen.”

Wednesday’s temperatures could break a daily record as well.

Field said the hot weather is caused by an area of high pressure over the Plains states. “It’s been strengthening the last couple of days and centering itself more across the central part of Texas closer to our area,” he said. “That’s allowing temperatures in the lower part of the atmosphere to really heat up.”

The NWS office in Corpus Christi advised people to stay hydrated and remain in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible during the hot weather.