Some Cities in Texas Are Literally Hotter Than the Sahara

Texas is literally hotter than the Sahara. Parts of south central Texas will experience incredibly high temperatures as a heat dome settles over the area.

A heat dome occurs when a dome of high pressure moves in. That pressure in the atmosphere acts like a lid, trapping hot air and pushing it toward the Earth’s surface, The New York Times explained. 

In response to forecasted triple-digit temperatures, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory that runs through the evening of May 16.

On May 15, temperatures could reach up to 104 degrees along the Rio Grande. It could get up to four degrees hotter the following day in the same area. Heat indexes, meanwhile, could exceed 111 degrees.

Those temperatures could set records in cities including Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.

NBC News reported that the forecasted temperatures are significantly higher than some areas in the Sahara Desert. In that part of the world, temperatures are only expected to reach the low 90s in some areas.

Relief isn’t coming anytime soon, either. In a post to X, the NWS wrote that “record hot high temps for this time of year continue into next week.”

It went on to advised Texans “to stay hydrated, limit strenuous outdoor activities in the afternoons and in the sun, and keep a close watch for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness.”

A separate post noted that, since it’s only May, “many will not be acclimated to this type of heat so early within the year and thus the risk for heat related illness is higher than normal.”

It’s Very, Very Hot in texas

The NWS even called the ongoing heat “one of the hottest May heat waves of all time,” according to the Times.

Orlando Bermúdez, a NWS forecaster, told the outlet that an average high in the area this time of year is 87 degrees. Given that, Bermúdez called the current heat wave “rare.”

As for why the heat is hitting early this year, climate change may be a culprit. The phenomena can’t easily be tied to individual weather events. However, the world has only been getting hotter in recent years.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that 2024 was the hottest year on record. Additionally, the NOAA noted that the planet’s 10 warmest years since 1850 have all occurred in the past decade.