HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — We now have an ABC13 Weather Watch for late Wednesday afternoon and early Wednesday evening. The setup look similar to what brought the Houston area severe hailstorms Monday night. Temperatures will again peak near 100 degrees in Houston, and that heat energy will feed into storms generated by a disturbance passing overhead. Any thunderstorm that pops late Wednesday could produce wind gusts over 50 mph, pea-to-quarter size hail, frequent lightning, and a quick 1-2″ of rain.
Rain chances then climb a little higher Thursday when a summer front reaches Houston.
How will Thursday’s front impact our weather?
This front doesn’t really cool us off much, but the combination of widespread rain clouds and thunderstorms will keep high temperatures in the low-to-mid 90s Thursday and Friday. Thursday’s rain chance is at 70%, then it drops to 40% Friday as drier air aloft filters in behind the front. We’ll actually get a light northeast winds with this front for a few days, which will bring the humidity down over the weekend. That drier air still heats up quickly under the August sun, so we are in for a dry heat as highs reach into the mid-to-upper 90s.
What is happening in the tropics?
Erin continues churning through the western Atlantic as a category 2 hurricane and will bring big swells and rip currents to the East Coast all week. We are also tracking two tropical waves in the eastern Atlantic, but their future impacts to land, if any, remain uncertain at this time. For a thorough update and in-depth video on what’s happening in the tropics, head to our tropical update page.
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Now, we normally see warmer and hot weather in the Houston area but if you’re like me, you’re questioning how in the heck it’s so HOT and it’s only MAY!
Not only that, but the storm that blew through also took many people’s power and electricity with it.
This means hundreds of thousands of people in the Greater Houston region are left to figure out life-threatening situations like how to pay for groceries and how to stay cool during this blistering heat.
Back in 2023, there were six deaths and more than 1,400 heat-related illnesses reported, all before August, according to the Houston Health Department.
Last year, we spoke with the Chief Medical Officer of the City of Houston, Dr. David Persse, to discuss how to keep heat-related illnesses at bay.
What are your top heat safety suggestions that our viewers need to remember?
Drink more water. Drink lots of liquids even before getting thirsty, but avoid those with caffeine, alcohol or large amounts of sugar because these can result in the loss of body fluid. Water is your best bet.
Conduct outdoor work or exercise in the early morning or evening when it is cooler. Outdoor workers should drink plenty of water or electrolyte replacement beverages and take frequent breaks in the shade or in an air-conditioned facility. Those unaccustomed to working or exercising in a hot environment need to start slowly and gradually increase heat exposure over several weeks.
Wear light-colored, loose-fitting clothing that permits the evaporation of perspiration.
Do not leave children, senior citizens or pets unattended in a vehicle.
Use a wide-brimmed hat to help prevent sunburn as well as heat-related illness. Sunscreen also protects from the sun’s harmful rays and reduces the risk of sunburn.
Seek air-conditioned facilities during the heat of the day if a home is not air-conditioned: multi-service centers, malls, movie theaters, libraries, etc.
Take frequent cool baths or showers if your home is not air-conditioned.
Stay alert to heat advisories. The National Weather Service declares a Heat Emergency when the heat index, a computation of the air temperature and humidity, reaches 108 degrees on two or more consecutive days. A heat index of 108 is a potential health threat for all people and is particularly dangerous for high-risk groups.
Where can people lacking air conditioning in their homes find refuge from the heat?
The City of Houston has released a list of locations for people without air conditioning to seek relief while power is being restored.
People who need transportation to a cooling center can contact 3-1-1 and request a free ride.
Which heat-related illnesses put people at risk of losing their lives?
Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt contained in sweat. Signs include profuse sweating, paleness, muscle cramps weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, a weak-but-rapid pulse, and fainting. The skin may be cool and moist.
The danger begins with heat exhaustion which, if left untreated, may progress to heat stroke.
Heat stroke occurs when the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the perspiration system fails and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.
Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.
Heat stroke symptoms include an extremely high body temperature (above 103°F, orally), red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating), rapid and strong pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion and unconsciousness.
Why are the elderly particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses?
High body temperatures can lead to damage to the brain or other vital organs and even death. The problem is that it takes the elderly twice as long as a young person to return to core body temperatures after being exposed to extremely high temperatures. That’s why it is important for all of us to take the initiative to check on elderly relatives, friends, and neighbors to check if they are not suffering due to the sweltering heat.
Other vulnerable people are children under the age of 4, people with chronic illnesses or who are either overweight or on certain medications should stay inside air-conditioned buildings between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., the hottest part of the day.
Drivers on Thursday could expect a bit of deja vu from last week courtesy of two lines of potentially strong thunderstorms coming into and around the Houston area.
According to Space City Weather, the first round settled into the region Thursday morning, with the strongest storms expected to occur between the morning hours and about 2 p.m. Areas along and south of Interstate 10 are forecasted to experience the largest threat of severe weather.
Those out and about should be ready to navigate heavy rainfall, hail and potentially damaging winds. A slight reprieve from these soggy, stormy conditions is expected in the afternoon and early evening hours, but this break is temporary as the second line of storms could start around midnight.
However, unlike the storms early Thursday, these are expected to bring the worst conditions north of Interstate 10.
Most of the Houston area could pick up between one to three inches of rain on Thursday, with the chances of street flooding being low but possible in low-lying areas. Once the early morning showers blow through the region, continued wet weather is not forecasted for Friday or throughout the weekend.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Friday will be another mild and muggy day with light showers, but Saturday could bring heavy rain that floods streets.
Widespread low clouds and fog are likely overnight as moisture continues to blow in from the Gulf of Mexico. We may not actually see the fog clear the coast until the end of the weekend after a front moves through. Temperatures will start off in the low 60s, which is closer to our average high of 67. Actual highs will warm back into the mid 70s, and light showers are possible at any time of day. Where it does rain, accumulations will generally measure at only a few hundredths of an inhc.
What weather should we prepare for this weekend?
It will remain mild, humid, and cloudy with growing chances for showers and thunderstorms. Sea fog will also be likely along the upper Texas coastline. Saturday brings a 70% chance for showers and thunderstorms, and the higher rain chances (and higher rain amounts) will depend on where a weak front stalls out in Southeast Texas. We have moderate confidence right now that this band will form somewhere over or just north of Houston and stretch northeast toward Lake Livingston. Sunday’s rain chance is also at 70%, but it’s primarily for the morning hours as a cold front pushes in from the west. Once the front blows through your neighborhood, the rain will end and the sun could even poke out before sunset.
How much rain could fall on Saturday?
Where the heavy band of rain stalls out, a quick 1-3″ of rain will fall. Isolated totals could exceed 5″, and where that happens street flooding is likely. If you find yourself outside of that heavy rain band, your rain accumulations will generally measure a quarter inch or less.
What’s the early weather outlook for Valentine’s Day?
At this time we expect fair weather with a morning low near 40 and a daytime high near 70. A mixture of sunshine and clouds are expected as our next rainy weather system approaches.
Are we done with freezes for this winter?
Probably not. While we don’t have any freezes currently in our 10 day forecast for Houston, we do think a frost is possible in Southeast Texas on Tuesday morning. Temperatures in Houston will likely drop into the mid 30s, which is cold enough to put frost on the ground and rooftops. We continue to see signs of a weather pattern change coming around Valentine’s Day that could allow more arctic air to push down the Plains and into Texas during the second half of February. Stay tuned!
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