The FOX Forecast Center is tracking what appears to be the first prolonged period of potentially dangerous excessive heat in parts of the southern Plains later this week, with temperatures nearing or exceeding 100 degrees.
With temperatures getting this warm so early in the summer season, precautions will need to be made to prevent heat-related injuries such as heatstroke and heat exhaustion, as well as ensuring children and animals aren’t left in vehicles, which can have tragic and deadly results.
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The FOX Forecast Center said the early-summer excessive heat will mostly be driven by a strengthening ridge of high pressure across the Texas–Mexico border as an area of low pressure spins off to the north, which will keep areas from the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes to the Northeast stormy and cloudy.
The scorching temperatures will begin on Wednesday, with areas of South Texas experiencing the hot weather.
For example, temperatures in Midland and San Antonio should reach 100 degrees or slightly above that. Farther off to the north and east, places like Dallas and Houston can expect high temperatures on Wednesday in the 90s.
But when you factor in the humidity, the “feels-like” temperatures will be much worse.
San Antonio and Houston could feel like it’s between 105 and 110 degrees. New Orleans will also feel the heat, with a feels-like temperature of around 100 degrees.
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Temperatures at or above 100 degrees are also expected for more areas of Texas, with both Houston and Dallas at risk of hitting the century mark. And the feels-like temperature will again make conditions more dangerous as Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Midland will all likely feel like it’s about 105 degrees.
Most of Louisiana, too, will also be at risk of dangerously hot temperatures on Thursday.
Both Shreveport in the north and New Orleans in the south are both expected to see a high temperature of around 95 degrees, but the feels-like temperature will reach the lower to mid-100s.
The excessive heat on Friday should still be contained to mostly Texas, but parts of Oklahoma to the north and Louisiana to the east will also see high temperatures in the mid- to upper 90s.
However, the feels-like temperature will be higher than 100 degrees in many more locations, including most of the Lone Star state, Louisiana and parts of coastal Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
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When the combination of hot temperatures and high humidity is expected to result in dangerous conditions that can cause heat-related illnesses, the National Weather Service issues various alerts to get the word out to the public. When an Excessive Heat Warning or a Heat Advisory is issued, it’s essential to take action.
First off, try to limit the time spent outdoors during extreme heat. The best time to be outdoors would be early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are not quite as high.
If you need to go outdoors during the day, wear loose, lightweight and light-colored clothing and drink plenty of fluids.
Always “look before you lock” to ensure you have not left any children or pets inside a car. Temperatures inside a locked vehicle with the windows rolled up can be deadly.