Heat Advisory Issued For Central Texas Amid Triple-Digit Temps

AUSTIN, TX — A heat advisory is in effect for Central Texas on Monday, weather officials said. And the dog days of summer will be getting even more oppressive, as Tuesday is being forecast as the hottest day of the week.

The advisory is in effect from noon to 7 p.m. as temperatures reach into the triple digits again. The National Weather Service issued such heat advisories when the combination of hot temperatures and high humidity combine to create a situation in which heat illnesses are possible.

In Williamson County, officials took to social media to warn their residents of the potentially dangerous heat. Austin-Travis County EMS medics also have continually advised the populace to limit outdoor activities and stay hydrated.

On top of their already demanding work, Austin medics have been scrambling in tending to people succumbing to heat stroke. Since last Wednesday, medics said, they've responded to 44 incidents — with 42 transports and 21 patients hospitalized — as people are felled by high temps ahead of more hot weather with heat indices reaching between 108 degrees to 110 degrees.

If ever there were a week to bring out the red map coloring, it's this one. The National Weather Service issued a map showing the various temps across the region, showing Austin with an expected high of 103 degrees on Monday. That's not a typo, and that's not accounting for the heat index.

To repeat: The high temperature in Austin will reach 103 degrees on Monday, forecasters said. Last week saw temps as high as 104 degrees, so there's that. At noon, the reading already was at 95 degrees.

But by Tuesday, we'll have looked back on Monday as something of a cold front (all terms being relative). The National Weather Service says Tuesday's high will be near 103 degrees — but with heat index values as high as 109! Yeah, that's right, we employed the rarely used exclamation mark for emphasis. Like forecasters reaching for their red map coloration, we feel the punctuation mark such an exclamation is more than warranted in this case.

Forecasters are saying the weather will be sunny and hot on Tuesday with the aforementioned high of 103 degrees with negligible south winds of around 5 miles per hour. Tuesday night will be relatively balmy under clear skies and a low of around 79 degrees. Winds will remain anemic between 5 to 10 miles per hour, forecasters predict.

Related stories:

Never Leave Children In Hot Cars: Austin PD

With Summer's Peak, Hot Car Deaths Among Children Rise

Speaking of winds, we opt for a breezy approach at times in reporting weather (probably as an unconscious coping mechanism). But this is serious stuff that could pose health dangers to people and animals without proper hydration and limits on sun exposure. Heat stroke is a real concern amid such weather, and people are highly urged to drink plenty of water throughout the day, wear light-colored clothing and don a hat as protection from the sun's powerful rays.

For a full set of safety tips on avoiding heat stroke, visit the Mayo Clinic website.

It goes without saying, but children and pets should NEVER be left in a hot car unattended. Tragedy has ensued across the country, with reports of deaths intermittently emerging about children dying in hot cars. Sometimes, parents think it's okay to leave the kids in the car as they quickly pop into the store or run another errand. It is not okay because under this sort of heat, cars quickly broil to temperatures akin to an oven. Even after mere minutes, tragedy can — and has — occurred after children are left alone in hot cars.

So far this year, 32 children have died in hot cars. That's according to the Injury Facts website that compiles such tragic data while poised for grim updates. "This number will be updated as new information becomes available throughout the year," researchers write. On average, 38 children under the age of 15 die each year from heat stroke after being left in a vehicle,officials said. Nearly every state has experienced at least one death since 1998, and in 2018, a record number of 53 children died after being left in a hot vehicle, officials added.

People also are advised to check in on elderly neighbors. Sometimes, older people on fixed incomes eschew use of the air conditioning to save money from high utility bills. Be a good neighbor, and make sure your senior neighbors are doing okay. If you want to go the extra mile (and score karma points in the process), you might buy them bottled water if they're on low supply and/or a good box fan if they've opted not to run the AC.

There are various symptoms to look for that may indicate heat stroke, as health officials at the Mayo Clinicnote on their website:

• High body temperature. A core body temperature of 104 F (40 C) or higher, obtained with a rectal thermometer, is the main sign of heatstroke.
• Altered mental state or behavior. Confusion, agitation, slurred speech, irritability, delirium, seizures and coma can all result from heatstroke.
• Alteration in sweating. In heatstroke brought on by hot weather, your skin will feel hot and dry to the touch. However, in heatstroke brought on by strenuous exercise, your skin may feel dry or slightly moist.
• Nausea and vomiting. You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit.
• Flushed skin. Your skin may turn red as your body temperature increases.
• Rapid breathing. Your breathing may become rapid and shallow.
• Racing heart rate. Your pulse may significantly increase because heat stress places a tremendous burden on your heart to help cool your body.
• Headache. Your head may throb.

Relief from the heat isn't on the immediate horizon, with triple-digit temps stretching into the weekend. We've told you about Monday and Tuesday already. Here's what National Weather Service forecasters predict for the coming days:

• Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 102. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming northeast in the afternoon. Wednesday night calls for a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 79. East northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
• Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 99. Northeast wind around 5 mph. Come nightfall, it'll be mostly clear, with a low around 78. East southeast wind around 5 mph.
• Friday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 99. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Friday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 77.
• Saturday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100. Come Saturday night, it will be mostly clear, with a low around 78.
• Sunday: Sunny and hot, with a high near 100.

That's the extent of the Sunday forecast, as if weather officials achieved peaceful resignation over the inexorable heat. Or it could be that even the most advanced machines of technological wizardry don't allow for specificity of detail so far out into the future.

In any event, it will be hot. That's what you really need to know to behave accordingly. Stay indoors if you can, but hydrate with copious amounts of water if out and about. Stay safe, readers!