Much Of The Country Is Getting Hit With A Brutal Pre-Summer Heat Wave

There’s still nearly a month of spring left, but it feels like the apex of summer across a large swath of the southern United States. And the mercury will remain high for days to come, according to meteorologists.

Where the temperatures are soaring

Residents of Florida and Texas are used to stifling heat, but not so early in the year. After last year ushered in the planet’s hottest summer on record, experts say folks living in heat-prone areas should be prepared for more of the same.

“To anyone who was hoping 2023 was a freak anomaly: nope,” declared University of Miami senior research associate Brian McNoldy.

His hometown has already shattered its May record with a heat index over the weekend that hit 112 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday. The only other back-to-back days that reached this level of heat occurred in August of last year, during the height of the summer heat.

Recent trends have led to Miami’s decision to expand its “official heat season” to include half the year — from the beginning of May to the end of October.

South Texas is also in the grips of an unseasonably hot spell. In some areas of the Lone Star State, temperatures are expected to hit 113 this week.

What the experts are predicting

The National Weather Service has issued its advisory for temperatures flirting with 120 degrees across parts of the country. This extreme weather, particularly when many folks aren’t expecting it, could prove dangerous or even fatal.

No other weather-related phenomenon is responsible for more deaths each year in the U.S. than heat.

To conclude its warning, the NWS added an emphatic piece of advice: “Be sure to stay cool, drink plenty of water, and take frequent breaks if you are spending time outside!”

Chris Agee May 23rd, 2024

Share this story: