A dangerous heat wave currently searing the South will lock in place into next week, with triple-digit highs, stifling humidity and little relief at night from Texas to Florida and the Carolinas.
Where it’s hot now
It’s already hotter than even August standards in the South.
Temperatures Thursday rocketed into the 110s in parts of Kansas and northwest Oklahoma, the hottest anywhere in the nation that day.
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And the combination of heat and extremely muggy air sent heat indices soaring into the 110s in southern Georgia, the Florida Panhandle and the mid-South region around Memphis.
The map below shows where the National Weather Service has issued heat alerts, ranging from heat advisories to extreme heat warnings. These alerts mean it’s hot enough to take extra precautions to avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
(CURRENT MAPS: Temperatures | Dew Point | Heat Index)
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How hot will it get?
Almost the entire South will see highs at least in the low 90s.
But many, especially away from the Gulf Coast, will see highs at times soar into at least the upper 90s, if not low 100s.
And that’s hot enough to threaten some daily record highs in parts of the South, especially from the lower Mississippi Valley to Florida and the Carolinas.
(MORE: Should you turn off your A/C or leave it on when you leave home?)
This map shows where daily record highs are possible the next seven days over the South.
Little relief at night
Typical of heat waves, there won’t be much relief when the sun sets.
Morning lows in many parts of the South won’t be any cooler than the mid-70s. In larger metro areas, these coolest temperatures of the day could be in the low 80s.
(MORE: Why nighttime temperatures are dangerous in a heat wave)
How long will this last?
Kentucky, Tennessee and the southern Appalachians may see some slight relief early next week.
But for the rest of the South, this heat wave will have staying power through at least much of next week, if not longer.
That’s due to a stubborn feature in the atmosphere called a heat dome.
(MORE: Earth just tied its hottest month on record)
What you should doHeat is the No. 1 weather killer in the U.S., with hundreds of fatalities each year.The combination of heat and humidity lingering into the night for several days in a row is dangerous for those without access to air conditioning, especially in the cores of larger cities.Check on family, friends, the elderly and those with chronic illness who live without access to air conditioning.If possible, avoid being outdoors for long in the peak heat of the afternoon.If not, take frequent breaks, avoid strenuous activity, drink more water than usual and wear loose, lightweight clothing.
(MORE: Heat advice from an ER doctor)
Jonathan Erdman is a senior meteorologist at weather.com and has been covering national and international weather since 1996. Extreme and bizarre weather are his favorite topics. Reach out to him on Bluesky, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.