Dallas County experienced a 12-day streak of heat advisories last month, the second longest on record since 2006.
Heat advisories were in effect every day from July 20 to July 31, according to data from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet, a product of Iowa State University that tracks warnings issued by the National Weather Service. That 12-day streak included seven days at or above 100 degrees.
Heat advisories in Dallas are issued by the National Weather Service’s Fort Worth office. There are two circumstances in which their office could issue an advisory, and both require the conditions to exist for two consecutive days. They are:
This year’s streak is topped only by a heat advisory from 2010, which was in effect for 16 days from Aug. 2 to Aug. 17.
Data on heat advisories is only available for the last 20 years, but in that time the advisories have become more common, relative to the overall intensity of each summer’s temperatures.
Parker Davis, an employee of the weather service’s Fort Worth office, said the agency has been more cognizant of heat risks and heat safety in recent years. As a result, forecasters may be more likely to issue advisories if there’s a chance of the necessary conditions to ensure residents are taking precautions.