Temperatures are expected to rise in parts of southern Texas as well as California and the desert Southwest this week, where about 22 million people are under heat alerts in the first significant heat event of the season.
Across Texas, intense heat combined with high humidity will cause temperatures as high as 115 degrees. Abilene, San Antonio and Brownsville are cities that could reach record levels and experience dangerous humidity. Texas can also expect severe storms this week, including a pair of reports of six-inch hail in the Panhandle.
In the West, the hottest days of the week will be Tuesday through Friday, with temperatures expected to top 100 degrees. This will lead to numerous records in cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, Albuquerque and Reno. On Thursday, Las Vegas heat has a 77% chance of reaching 110 degrees; If that happens, it will equal the first 110 degrees recorded, which was on June 6, 2010, according to the National Metereological ServiceThe field office in Las Vegas.
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“Excessive heat warnings are in effect for California’s central valley region, while excessive heat watches are in effect for parts of the desert southwest,” the National Weather Service said in an update. “The risk of extreme heat is likely to continue across much of South Texas through Wednesday. This level of heat risk means there will likely be little to no relief overnight for those without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration “.
Over the weekend, a grass fire called the Corral Fire was sparked by strong winds in San Joaquin County, California, near the city of Tracy. It has burned just over 14,000 acres and is 50% contained.
The good news is that there are currently no fire alerts for California, as the winds have since died down.
However, with heat expected to increase this week, that will keep wildfire concerns high, especially in inland areas away from the coast.
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Just last week, destructive hail four to six inches in diameter hit parts of the Texas Panhandle, and the Denver metro area suffered its worst hail storm since 2017. Last Thursday night’s Denver hailstorm may end becoming the next billion-dollar hailstorm. disaster this year.
On Sunday, numerous five-inch hailstones were reported across Texas, including a pair of reports of six-inch hail in the Panhandle. While this is not a state record (6.40 inches fell in 2021), this is another day in 2024 with large hail reported across the country. There have been 3,479 reports of severe hail so far this year, the fourth highest number to date and the most since 2017.
While this is exactly the time of year we would expect to see large hail in these regions, the changing climate could be influencing the frequency, intensity and size of hail experienced during these spring and summer hail storms.
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