As the sweltering summer heat continues to grip Houston, residents are bracing for another day of high temperatures paired with increased chances of severe weather. According to the National Weather Service's Houston office, the city will see a "20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm" today, on top of "widespread haze after 4pm." The expected high is near a scorching 95 degrees with heat index values climbing as high as 110. A calm wind will become southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon, providing little relief from the heat. NWS reports that tonight will remain hazy, with a low around 80 degrees.
Heading into the new week, Houstonians must keep an eye out for the heat advisory that is presently in effect for most of the area on Sunday, underscoring the relentless summer conditions. "Continue to take all heat safety precautions," warns the NWS Houston on X in a call to resilience for those facing the relentless sun. The weather forecast has reiterated the critical importance of heat safety amidst these soaring temperatures.
Here are the SE TX temperature outlooks for tonight/Sunday/Sunday night. Heat Advisory is in effect for most of the area on Sunday. Continue to take all heat safety precautions. #txwx #houwx #glswx #bcswx pic.twitter.com/HinmYYgO7g
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) June 30, 2024
While the heat dominates local concerns, the central and northern Plains are preparing for severe thunderstorms early this week, which may include parts of Nebraska and South Dakota. The Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, states, "There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms across the northern/central plains." A developing mid- or upper-level trough promises to bring significant changes to the region's atmospheric dynamics, escalating the potential for severe weather. Residents in central and eastern Nebraska and northwestern South Dakota, in particular, have been alerted to the risk of "potentially intense supercells" as the weather system progresses. The Storm Prediction Center advises awareness of all severe hazards in these regions.
In a turn that reinforces the mood, the Southeast should also prepare itself for potential severe weather. The favored locale for such conditions is "southward-sagging front and a related surface wave," which could trigger "locally severe storms capable of wind damage," especially by Monday afternoon through early evening, as per the Storm Prediction Center. This risk is pronounced across a swath of the Southeast, from southern South Carolina through southern and eastern Georgia, and possibly extending into northern Florida and southeast Alabama. Short-term forecasts emphasize a moderately unstable environment, which could foster these severe conditions, again highlighting the unpredictable and often fickle moods of Mother Nature.
