A formidable heat dome is enveloping the southern United States, promising to bring sweltering conditions to seven states, with temperatures in some regions expected to climb beyond 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued extreme heat warnings and advisories affecting over 50 million residents across Arizona, Arkansas, California, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas as of Monday.
Texas is predicted to bear the brunt of this oppressive heat, with cities including Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Lubbock, Odessa, and El Paso set to experience the effects of the massive high-pressure system dominating the Southwest.
Residents in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona; San Diego and Los Angeles, California; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma are on alert for the potentially lethal combination of intense heat and high humidity, which is expected to persist until at least 8 PM local time today.
The heat warnings in California extend through Wednesday, while in Arizona, the hazardous weather conditions are anticipated to continue until Saturday night. This prolongs the risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke among local populations.
NWS said in a statement: ‘An Extreme Heat Warning means that a period of very hot temperatures, even by local standards, will occur.’
Temperatures in the Phoenix area are expected to reach between 106 and 118 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoons this week.
In Texas, forecasters are bracing for near-record temperatures that could reach 112F in multiple areas on Monday, affecting roughly 25 million people in that state alone.
A billboard in Phoenix, Arizona records an outdoor temperature of 118 degrees in summer 2023 (File Image)
Extreme heat is expected to affect millions on August 24, with multiple states issuing warning throughout the week. The areas in purple reveal the most extreme emergency
NWS described the conditions in Texas on Monday as ‘major’ or ‘extreme’ on their heat risk guidance chart – the two most serious levels on the five-stage alert system.
Extreme describes weather where there will be ‘no overnight relief’ from the heat, and conditions that will affect anyone who does not have air conditioning or fails to hydrate properly while outdoors.
Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin and Houston have all been listed in the extreme heat zone on Monday.
By Wednesday, the worst of the heat and humidity has been projected to shift west, towards Arizona and Southern California, impacting Phoenix, Tucson and Los Angeles.
NWS officials urged: ‘Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.’
‘Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes,’ the added in their alert.
The forecasted high on Tuesday (114F) and Wednesday (116F) in Phoenix is expected to break or challenge the city’s single day records, which were set for both days back in 2011.
Multiple heat domes have formed over the US this year, starting unseasonably early in mid-March. Heat domes prevent both hot air and high humidity levels from rising into the atmosphere, acting like a lid over large portions of the US for days at a time.
National Weather Service warned that prolonged exposure to these temperatures can quickly trigger heat exhaustion or heat stroke, a potentially fatal condition (Stock Image)
Temperatures in Southern California are expected to surpass 100 degrees throughout Wednesday
For those who have to go outside, officials urged Americans to wear lightweight and loose fitting clothing and limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening hours.
The elderly, pregnant women, newborns, young children and those with chronic health problems such as heart disease, obesity or poor blood circulation are said to be at the highest risk from heat-related illnesses.
Signs of heat exhaustion, when the body overheats from prolonged exposure to hot weather, include heavy sweating, fatigue, developing cool, pale, clammy skin and a fast, weak pulse, muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea and headaches.
Heat stroke, which is far more deadly and can develop within 15 minutes in extremely hot conditions, often starts with a throbbing headache, confusion, slurred speech, nausea, dizziness and a fever above 103F.
Sufferers may also develop red, dry, or damp skin, a rapid pulse, and lose consciousness. It turns fatal when the body’s organs begin to fail.
The conditions in the Southwest are expected to exacerbate an already extreme drought throughout the region, which may soon lead to water shortages in several states.
The US Drought Monitor has noted that conditions in northern Texas, western Oklahoma and parts of New Mexico have reached the monitor’s most severe level of drought, called D4 or ‘exceptional drought.’
Large portions of nearby Colorado, Idaho and Oregon have also moved into this most severe drought status – increasing the risk of deadly wildfires throughout the western US this summer.