Early season heat wave to blanket southern US with scorching temperatures
An early season heat wave is poised to bring scorching temperatures to much of the southern U.S., making the region feel more like summer than spring over the coming days.
The late-spring heat wave is fueling severe thunderstorms in places like Texas, which has been experiencing the hottest temperatures of the year so far. Parts of Texas have seen major to extreme heat this week, which will continue through Tuesday.
On Thursday, record daily temperatures were measured in Del Rio, Texas, at 103 degrees; Austin at 99 degrees; Houston at 95 degrees; Chicago at 94 degrees and Peoria, Illinois, at 93 degrees.
A heat advisory was in effect for San Antonio and Austin on Friday, with high temperatures ranging from 95 degrees and 105 degrees and a heat index up to 110 degrees.
The heat wave in Texas will last through the weekend and into early next week.
The record heat will be spreading throughout the South on Friday as well. Cities like Atlanta; Tallahassee, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; Orlando; Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Asheville, North Carolina, could hit daily temperature records.
The heat will continue on Saturday from Texas to North Carolina. Hot temperatures are expected in the region until at least Tuesday.
The warming of the Gulf is occurring just weeks before the official start to the Atlantic hurricane season on June 1.
