Austin Sizzles Under Triple-Digit Heat Index as Texas Summer Intensifies

The National Weather Service predicts that Austin will experience hot weather for an extended period this week, with highs in the mid-90s and heat index values reaching as high as 103 degrees. The weather prediction for Tuesday calls for mostly sunny skies and light southeast winds at 5 to 10 mph.

Even Tuesday night will not be much better. There will be clear skies, with warm evening lows of around 75 degrees. Light winds from the southeast will continue to blow, but they will not significantly cool things down because the heat will still be present.

There is only a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon on Wednesday, so there is not much hope for relief. Even so, the high temperature will stay around 94 degrees, and the heat index will remain close to 100 degrees. The sky will remain mostly sunny, and the breeze will do little to cool things down.

Highs will be close to 96 degrees on both Saturday and Sunday, so the trend is expected to continue. The nights will remain warm and partly cloudy, which will not significantly cool down the area. It will continue to get hotter through Thursday and Friday, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures rising to 97 degrees.

Authorities are advising people in Austin to be cautious: drink plenty of water, visit places with air conditioning, and wear light-colored clothing that allows air to flow through. People who work or spend time outside should take breaks frequently and avoid the hottest times of the day, which typically occur between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

The southern breeze will persist all week, but it will be a light breeze, insufficient to cool things down in this sweltering summer. The next few days will be a sharp reminder of how hot it is in Austin, even though it gets this hot all the time.

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