Temperatures are expected to climb across parts of southern Texas, as well as California and the desert Southwest this week, where around 22 million people are under heat alerts in the first significant heat event of the season.
Across Texas, high heat combined with high humidity will lead to temperatures that feel as hot as 115 degrees. Abilene, San Antonio and Brownsville are cities that could set record highs and see dangerous humidity. Texas can also expect severe storms this week, including a couple of reports of 6-inch hailstones in the Panhandle.
In the West, the hottest days of the week will be Tuesday to Friday, with temperatures expected to soar past 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This will lead to numerous record highs for cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Albuquerque and Reno. On Thursday, Las Vegas heat has a 77% chance of hitting 110 degrees — if it happens, it’ll tie the earliest 110 degrees on record, which is June 6, 2010, according to the National Weather Service field office in Las Vegas.
“Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect for the central valley region of California while Excessive Heat Watches are in effect for parts of the Desert Southwest,” the National Weather Service said in an update. “Extreme HeatRisk is probable to continue for much of southern Texas through Wednesday. This level of heat risk means that there will likely be little to no overnight relief for those without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration.”
Over the weekend, a grass fire named Corral Fire was sparked by high winds in San Joaquin County, California, near the city of Tracy. It has burned just more than 14,000 acres and is 50% contained.
The good news is that there are currently no fire alerts out for California, as the winds have since died down.
