Sign up for TPR Today, Texas Public Radio's newsletter that brings our top stories to your inbox each morning.
The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Warning for San Antonio and much of South Central Texas on Thursday as forecasters expect some of the hottest conditions of the summer so far.
The warning will be in effect from noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday and covers a broad swath of South Central Texas, including the Interstate 35 corridor from Austin to San Antonio. Counties under the warning include Williamson, Hays, Travis, Bastrop, Lee, Uvalde, Medina, Bexar, Comal, Guadalupe, Caldwell, Fayette, Maverick, Zavala, Frio, Atascosa, Wilson, Karnes, Gonzales, DeWitt, Lavaca and Dimmit.
Forecasters expect San Antonio to reach a high temperature of around 96 degrees. But humidity will make it feel much hotter. The National Weather Service forecasts a heat index of about 112 degrees in San Antonio, with values between 110 and 113 degrees expected across much of the region.
The National Weather Service says conditions Thursday will be more extreme than the heat South Texans have experienced so far this summer. Recent rainfall, lingering humidity and hot temperatures are expected to create dangerously hot conditions during the afternoon and early evening hours.
The forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies Thursday morning before conditions gradually become sunnier later in the day. Winds of 10 to 15 mph are expected, with gusts up to 20 mph.
The National Weather Service is urging residents to drink plenty of water, limit strenuous outdoor activities, take frequent breaks in air-conditioned or shaded areas and check on elderly relatives, neighbors and other vulnerable people.
The agency also reminded residents never to leave children or pets unattended in vehicles, where temperatures can become deadly within minutes.
While Thursday is expected to be the hottest day in the current forecast, hot and humid conditions are expected to persist into next week. Heat index values above 100 degrees are forecast across much of the region through at least Wednesday.
