AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin and much of Central Texas is under an Extreme Heat Warning until 8 p.m. Wednesday, with the heat index for the day expected to reach 115 degrees.

This temperature is dangerous for everyone, regardless of their physical health. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat will begin to shut down your body’s ability to regulate heat and eventually kill you without medical intervention.

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Infants, older adults, pregnant people, and people on certain medications have lower tolerance for extreme heat. Most pets also have far fewer ways to regulate heat compared to humans.

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There are ways to stay safe: Stay inside if possible, seek shade when outside, drink water, and take regular breaks if working outside. The city of Austin has cooling centers open during the day:

And so does Travis County:

The city of Austin said Wednesday that it recommends following a local weather team, such as KXAN’s First Warning Weather Team, for updates.

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