Monday 13 June 2022 08:58 PM Chicago may hit 100f for the first time in a DECADE and Texas grid hits ... trends now
Several cities could see record-breaking temperatures this week - with Chicago possibly hitting 100 degrees for the first time in a decade - as a crippling heat dome settles over the bakes the southwestern and central United States before moving east.
A large swath of the nation, stretching from central Nebraska to West Virginia, north into Wisconsin and south into Mississippi will see the heat index rise from Monday morning until midweek, the National Weather Service said.
The heat index, a measure of what the temperature feels like to the human body, is expected to reach 100 degrees by Tuesday afternoon.
In Chicago, the high temperature is expected to reach 100 degrees on Tuesday, AccuWeather reported. Temperatures in the metro area - and Indianapolis - are typically around 80 degrees in June, but are expected to skyrocket to 100 this week.
The last time Chicago O'Hare International Airport recorded a day with a temperature higher than 99 F in June was on June 28, 2012, AccuWeather reported.
The heatwave comes as power demand in Texas hit an all-time high on Sunday and will likely break that record this week as economic growth boosts usage and homes and businesses keep air conditioners cranked up to escape the lingering heat.
In Chicago, (pictured here on Memorial Day) is typically around 80 degrees in June - but this week, the high temperature is expected to reach 100 degrees for the first time since 2012
The heat was also expected to continue to scorch the Southwest and parts of Texas, where daytime temperatures will remain in the 100s in many parts of the region until Monday night
The weather service said many areas should expect 'well above normal to record-breaking temperatures' as it issued heat advisor and excessive heat warnings for the region.
'Plan ahead to avoid heat-related illness and check on relatives and neighbors. The heat should break toward the end of the week,' the weather service said on Twitter.
It also advised people to stay indoors, avoid strenuous activities and stay hydrated with lots of fluids.
The heat was also expected to continue to scorch the Southwest and parts of Texas, where daytime temperatures will remain in the 100s in many parts of the region until Monday night, the weather service said. The mercury reached 114 degrees (45.5C) in Phoenix on Saturday, tying a record for the date.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said a large heat dome will become more expansive over the Central states, Midwest and Southeast over the next several days.
'Cities such as St. Louis, Omaha, Nebraska, and even cities as far east as Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina, will be flirting with record high temperatures and triple-digit readings this week,' Pydynowski explained.
The crippling heat will linger into the end of the week, but a cold front in some areas at the end of the week will bring relief.
'Finally, by late in the week, a cold front will trim back the heat and bring some relief to portions of the Midwest and Great Lakes,' Pydynowski said.
AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said a large heat dome will become more expansive over the Central states, Midwest and Southeast over the next several days
The crippling heat will linger into the end of the week, but a cold front in some areas at the end of the week will bring relief
Power demand in Texas will likely break a record this week as economic growth boosts usage and homes and businesses keep air conditioners cranked up to escape a lingering heatwave.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the grid for more than 26 million customers representing about 90% of the state's power load, has said it has enough resources available to meet demand.
The extreme weather is a reminder of the 2021 February freeze in Texas that left millions without power, water and heat for days during a deadly storm as ERCOT scrambled to prevent a grid collapse after an unusually large amount of generation was shut.
AccuWeather forecast high temperatures in Houston, the biggest city in Texas, would hit 97 Fahrenheit (36.1 Celsius) on Monday before easing to 92 F on Wednesday. That compares with a normal high of 92 F for this time of year.
After topping the June demand record on Friday at 73,879 MW and Saturday at 74,362 MW, ERCOT said usage rose to a preliminary 74,917 MW on Sunday, which broke the all-time high of 74,820 MW in August 2019.
On Monday, ERCOT forecast demand would reach 76,587 MW.
