Southern States Face Blistering Heatwave, More Dangerous Storms
A father and daughter escaped the heat in a fountain on Father’s Day in Houston, Texas, a state bracing for triple-digit temperatures. Photo: ADREES LATIF/REUTERS By Gareth Vipers June 19, 2023 9:42 am ET Millions of Americans face sweltering heat and record highs this week, with the threat of severe storms and humid conditions spreading across the Southern states. Scorching temperatures are expected for Texas and Louisiana, with the mercury reaching triple digits throughout the week, forecasters warned. The heat index—a value that combines the effects of air temperature and relative humidity to represent the perceived temperature—is expected to soar above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the National Weather Service said Monday. “A blistering heat wave with excessive heat warnings a
A father and daughter escaped the heat in a fountain on Father’s Day in Houston, Texas, a state bracing for triple-digit temperatures.
Photo: ADREES LATIF/REUTERS
Millions of Americans face sweltering heat and record highs this week, with the threat of severe storms and humid conditions spreading across the Southern states.
Scorching temperatures are expected for Texas and Louisiana, with the mercury reaching triple digits throughout the week, forecasters warned.
The heat index—a value that combines the effects of air temperature and relative humidity to represent the perceived temperature—is expected to soar above 120 degrees Fahrenheit, the National Weather Service said Monday.
“A blistering heat wave with excessive heat warnings and heat advisories will continue in Texas, Louisiana, and the vicinity over the coming days,” the weather service said.
“We’re seeing all kinds of record highs across southern Texas,” David Roth, a forecaster with the Weather Prediction Center said. “Anything above 105 on the heat index is quite dangerous.”
Mississippi and Alabama were placed on flood and tornado watch, following devastating storms in the region last week.
“Strong to severe thunderstorms and excessive rainfall will be common the next few days in the Southeastern quadrant of the U.S.,” the weather service said.
Nearly half a million customers were without power in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama early Monday, according to PowerOutage.us, a website that tracks power outages across the U.S.
Tornadoes swept through parts of Texas, Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle last week, flattening homes and bringing down power lines. At least five people were killed and more than 100 injured.
Perryton, a city in northern Texas, suffered the brunt of the devastation when a deadly tornado hit on Thursday, killing three people and destroying a local fire station.
“What Texans in Perryton have gone through over the past couple of days have been nothing short of horrific,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a briefing Sunday.
Abbott expanded an earlier emergency disaster declaration to cover much of northeast Texas and said state officials would continue working around the clock to provide support.
Louisiana Gov.
Write to Gareth Vipers at [email protected]
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