Residents in Texas are preparing for more severe weather following a weekend of deadly storms.
Texas is bracing for more severe weather on Tuesday as the state recovers from the deadly Memorial Day storms that left at least seven people dead. Across five states, nearly two dozen individuals, including four children, were killed as storms hit the central US over the holiday weekend. Several communities are still dealing with the aftermath of lost homes and businesses.
The most significant threat of intense weather this Tuesday is expected in central Texas, home to cities like Austin and Waco. Residents could experience huge hail, lightning, and wind gusts reaching up to 80 mph, with a possibility of a few tornadoes forming, according to the National Weather Service.
Sweltering heat will accompany these storms in Texas, part of a widespread heatwave that has been scorching the southern regions in recent days. A less serious risk of severe thunderstorms spans across sections of the Southern Plains and a portion of the Southeast, covering most of Texas and areas in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and western New Mexico.
While not under the highest risk, cities like San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, and Plano in Texas could witness storms. Some areas are struggling to recover after experiencing a record number of tornadoes and destructive storms in the central US in recent weeks.
Sunday saw the busiest severe weather day of 2021, with over 600 reports of strong winds or hail across more than 20 states, including gusts over 75 mph and hail the size of softballs. There were also 26 tornado reports in 10 states, leaving many homes and businesses in ruins, cars being thrown, and power lines falling.
Monday night saw more than 200,000 homes and businesses without power in seven states due to the same storm system moving through the East, per PowerOutage.us. The states affected were Kentucky (with the most outages at over 90,000), Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, Alabama, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Texas grapples with extreme heat
A recent heatwave has been baking the South, leading to heat indices reaching triple-digit temperatures in states such as Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. These indices, which measure how the body feels under humidity and air temperature, are projected to drop into the 90s by Wednesday in most of the South. However, certain parts of Texas will experience these high temperatures for a little longer.
Heat advisories are in place for western Texas’ Brewster County and the Davis Mountains and their surrounding hills. Temperatures could soar up to 110 degrees in the area, as mentioned by the National Weather Service.
Extreme heat is the leading natural disaster in the United States, with more fatalities than tornadoes and flooding. As temperatures rise, more people are vulnerable to heat-related health issues like heatstroke and heat exhaustion.
The prolonged and increasingly severe heatwaves, like the one currently ravaging the South, are becoming more common, intense, and long-lasting due to human-induced climate change. These conditions are also becoming harder to cope with as the overnight temperatures do not cool down enough to provide any relief.
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Texas is experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach up to 110 degrees in certain areas like Brewster County and the Davis Mountains. The prolonged heatwave, a leading natural disaster in the United States, is becoming more common and severe due to climate change.
Amidst the heat, Texas is also bracing for more severe weather on Tuesday, with a high risk of intense storms including huge hail, lightning, and wind gusts up to 80 mph, and a possibility of tornadoes forming.
Source: edition.cnn.com
