A heat advisory, red flag warning and hazardous weather outlook have been issued, and they all mean one thing: It’s hot, hot, hot!
At 1:01 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Lampasas, Coryell, Bell and other nearby counties, citing temperatures of 103 degrees and heat indices of 108 until 8 p.m. on Friday evening.
A red flag warning also was issued at that time and will be in effect until 1 a.m. Saturday. South winds of 10 to 15 mph are expected as well as gusts of up to 25 mph.
“Rapid ignition and spread of wildfires is possible due to persistent hot and dry conditions,” NWS officials said. “A Red Flag Warning means that extreme fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and dry vegetation can contribute to extreme fire behavior. Avoid all outside burning and welding today. Do not toss lighted cigarette butts outside. Report wildfires to the nearest fire department or law enforcement office.”
In the heat advisory, NWS officials recommend drinking plenty of fluids, staying out of the sun and checking on relatives and neighbors.
“Hot temperatures and high humidity will increase the risk for heat-related illnesses to occur, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities,” the advisory read.
In a larger area that also includes Lampasas, Coryell, Bell, Hamilton and Mills counties, a hazardous weather outlook issued at 2:33 p.m. Thursday cited heat-related illnesses and risk of wildfires fire being primary concerns.
“The threat for extreme fire behavior exists near and west of I-35 due to hot, dry and breezy conditions,” the outlook read. “The threat for extreme fire behavior will likely continue through the weekend as hot, dry and breezy conditions persist.”
In addition to the extreme heat, NWS meteorologists predict storms over the weekend and early next week.
“Isolated to widely scattered storms are possible across parts of North Texas Sunday night through Wednesday. Strong and gusty winds are possible with isolated strong storms,” officials said.
Weekend temperatures are expected to peak at 103 degrees on Saturday and Sunday, with Sunday winds of 15 mph and gusts of up to 25 mph.
