Ten states from New Mexico to Florida are under Heat Advisories and Warnings.
Historic heat across the South continues today with San Antonio, Texas hitting 107 degrees, the hottest temperature ever recorded in the city in the month of July.
In Del Rio, Texas, temperatures reached a whopping 112 degrees which tied the hottest temperature ever recorded in the city’s history.
In New Orleans, a daily record high was broken yesterday when the city reached 99 degrees but, with humidity, the heat index reached 118 degrees.
Today, 10 states from New Mexico to Florida are under Heat Advisories and Warnings where the heat index could top 110 degrees with actual temperatures approaching 100 once again.
In the West, gusty erratic winds helped spread wildfires from California to Colorado.
In Evergreen, Colorado, the Elephant Butte Fire forced evacuations of more than 1,000 homes and the fire is currently 0% contained.
In southern Utah, the Veyo West Fire has burned 1,184 acres and is also 0% contained. There were evacuations yesterday but, as of this morning, it was lifted!
In Fresno County, California, the Mineral Fire burned 1,000 acres and is currently 0% contained with evacuations in effect and structures threatened.
Red Flag Warnings and a Fire Weather Watch has been issued from California to Colorado.
The biggest threat is erratic winds from thunderstorms and outflow boundaries that could spread fires very quickly and change the direction in which they are burning.
The high heat and dry vegetation is not helping to fight these fires but, thankfully, the extreme heat is beginning to subside.
Yesterday, severe storms moved through the Northeast, the Carolinas and the Plains and brought damaging winds of 60 to almost 90 mph along with large hail.
Today, severe weather is expected mostly from the Great Lakes to the western Plains.
The biggest threat today will be damaging winds, large hail and even an isolated tornado. The tornado threat will be from Wisconsin to Iowa and damaging winds with hail should occur from Wisconsin to the Texas panhandle.
