Triple-digit temperatures are well on their way to Lampasas, and the heat index may rise to 110 next week.
Thursday and Friday likely will see highs of 101 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit in the area, launching several days of three-digit temperatures, and the first 100-degree highs of the season. Saturday is expected to reach a high of 103 and Sunday, 102 degrees, according to the National Weather Service Dallas/Fort Worth office.
The highest temperature of the season in Lampasas so far was Sunday, which saw 98 degrees at its peak, according to NWS data.
But Texas is “just preheating,” as some have joked on social media. The NWS Climate Prediction Center data shows heat indices in the Lampasas area may be between 105 and 110 on Thursday., with a 69% chance of the mercury rising over 105.
On Friday, chances are 52% of the heat index exceeding 110 degrees.
HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges the public to stay cool, stay hydrated and stay informed. It offers these tips for preventing heat related illnesses on hot days:
• Choose lightweight, loose-fitting clothing. Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes prior to going out. Sunburn affects the body’s ability to cool down and can lead to dehydration.
• Drink more fluids, regardless of how active you are. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink.
• Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible. If your home does not have air-conditioning, go to a public space like a library. Even a few hours spent in air-conditioning can help the body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Call the local health department to see if there are any heat-relief shelters in the area.
• Limit outdoor activity to when it’s coolest, like morning and evening hours. Rest often in shady areas so your body has a chance to recover.
• Cut down on exercise during the heat. If you’re not accustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment, start slowly and increase the pace gradually. If exertion in the heat makes your heart pound and leaves you gasping for breath, stop all activity. Get into a cool area or into the shade, and rest, especially if you become lightheaded, confused, weak or faint.
• Never leave infants, children or pets in a parked car, even if the windows are cracked open. Vehicles can heat up to dangerous temperatures quickly, even with a window cracked open. Although anyone left in a parked car is at risk, children are especially at risk of getting a heat stroke or dying. To remind yourself a child is in the car, keep a stuffed animal in the safety seat. When the child is buckled in, place the stuffed animal in front with the driver.
EL NIÑO
In addition to rising temperatures in Texas, the National Weather Service has declared the arrival of El Niño.
Last week in a blog maintained by the National Weather Service, meteorologist and former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research scientist Emily Becker wrote that El Niño conditions are present this summer and are expected to continue into the winter, with a 56% chance of a strong El Niño event this year. Chances of a moderate event are at 84%, and chances of no El Niño at all are between 4% and 7%.
While the air convection mechanics that lead to El Niño conditions are somewhat complicated, Becker described it as a shift in warm and cool air patterns.
“In a one-paragraph nutshell: warm air that rises near the equator moves toward the poles high up in the atmosphere, descending again near 30 °N and 30 °S, in an overturning pattern called the Hadley circulation. The Hadley circulation is connected with the jet streams over the middle to high latitudes, which steer storms around the world and separate cold and warm air masses,” she wrote.
These shifting jet streams can create wetter conditions for the southern United States and dryer conditions for Indonesia.
