AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A heat dome that has brought nearly 90 straight days of high temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) to Phoenix moved into Texas on Wednesday, and the high temperatures are not expected to subside until the weekend, the National Weather Service said.
A heat warning has been declared for Texas as the National Weather Service has described the coming heat wave as “extreme” and “rare and/or long-lasting with little to no overnight relief.” An extreme heat warning has been issued for eastern New Mexico.
A heat dome is a slow-moving, high-pressure system with stable air and a deep layer of high temperatures, meteorologist Bryan Jackson explained.
“It’s usually sunny, the sun is scorching, it’s hot and the air is contained inside (the dome),” Jackson said. “There are a dozen places that are hitting peak temperatures on a daily basis … mostly in Texas.”
Record-high temperatures were expected in cities including Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Amarillo. In Phoenix, monsoon rains have cooled slightly since Sunday, though daytime highs are still above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius).
The dome is forecast to move toward western Oklahoma and eastern New Mexico beginning Saturday, then into the central Mississippi Valley, where it will weaken slightly, Jackson said.
About 14.7 million people are in the heat warning zone, where temperatures of 110°F (43.3°C) and above are forecast. Another 10 million people have been issued a heat advisory.
According to MedStar Ambulance Service in Fort Worth, Texas, hundreds of people have already had to rely on emergency services. The service responded to 286 heat-related calls during the first 20 days of August, about 14 a day, compared to about 11 a day in August 2023, according to MedStar social communicator Desiree Partain.
