Heat wave grips Southern United States with record highs and high humidity
A persistent heat dome is driving triple-digit temperatures and high heat indices across the South, prompting heat advisories and warnings through next week.
A broad heat wave is expected to dominate the Southern United States through at least the end of next week, with temperatures reaching the upper 90s and occasionally exceeding 100 degrees in Texas, Oklahoma and parts of the Southeast. Heat indices have already climbed above 105 in southern Georgia, coastal South Carolina, the Florida Panhandle and the Memphis area, prompting the National Weather Service to issue heat advisories and extreme heat warnings.
Nighttime temperatures are also expected to remain elevated, with morning lows staying in the 70s across much of the region, limiting relief after sunset. The pattern is being sustained by a high-pressure system known as a heat dome, which is expected to linger before cooler air moves in from the Midwest later in the week.
Officials note that heat remains the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States, and they advise residents to check on vulnerable individuals, limit outdoor activity during peak heat, stay hydrated, and wear loose, lightweight clothing. Recent observations include Miami reaching 100 °F for only the second time since records began in 1895, and daily temperature records or ties reported in cities such as Little Rock, McAllen, Tallahassee, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Fayetteville and Charleston.