North Texans are urged to limit outdoor activities this week as oppressive heat is forecast to linger in the area.
Tuesday is expected to be the hottest day this week, with highs projected at 106 in Dallas and 108 in Fort Worth, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth. The heat is also driving up demand for power in the state to record-breaking levels.
Maximum heat indices — or how hot the air feels — Tuesday were expected to reach 111 degrees in Dallas and Fort Worth, according to the weather service.
The National Weather Service on Monday issued an excessive heat warning for multiple parts of North Texas, including Dallas and Tarrant counties. The warning was set to expire 9 p.m. Tuesday. Other parts of North Texas were under a heat advisory.
“The Excessive Heat Warning is technically a step above a Heat Advisory, but both require heat safety practices,” NWS Fort Worth tweeted.
Allison Prater, a meteorologist for NWS Fort Worth, said highs Wednesday are expected to be a few degrees lower than Tuesday. Closer to Saturday, the area could “have some really low chances for rain,” she added.
“It’s quite a handful of days out so there will be a lot of changes and variability,” Prater said.
Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to five environmental emergency calls between noon and 6 p.m. Monday. MedStar, which provides emergency medical services to Fort Worth and areas surrounding the city, said six people were hospitalized with heat-related issues as of 5:40 p.m. Monday.
In a written statement Monday, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the state’s main grid operator, said it “expects the grid to operate under normal conditions.”
Texas’ grid set a new all-time demand record Monday afternoon, according to Grid Status, which tracks energy demand on U.S. electric grids.
The peak demand reached 81,945 megawatts Monday afternoon, breaking the previous unofficial record — 81,573 megawatts — set less than a week ago.
That record might not last long, according to grid projections from ERCOT, which showed daily peak electric demand estimates for the week to be above 84,000 megawatts through Thursday.
