Extreme heat warning conditions were in effect across parts of Texas on Thursday, June 18, with South Texas forecast to reach a heat index of 125 degrees. The National Weather Service said little to no relief was expected tonight through Friday night, and people were urged to check on the elderly, vulnerable populations, livestock, and pets.
In Central Texas, including San Antonio and Austin, an extreme heat warning ran from noon until 8 p.m. CT, with heat indices expected to reach 118 degrees. Austin and San Antonio were also forecast to feel like 116 degrees, while feels-like temperatures were expected to soar up to 120 degrees in parts of Texas.
South Texas and Central Texas
South Texas was under an extreme heat warning from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, with the highest heat index forecast in the state. The National Weather Service put the region at 125 degrees, a level that left little room for the day to cool off before evening.
Residents in Central Texas faced a different but still sharp threshold: the warning there covered San Antonio and Austin and was tied to heat index values of 118 degrees. That split shows how the National Weather Service used warnings where the expected heat index was more severe and advisories where values were lower but still dangerous.
Houston area and Galveston
A heat advisory covered the Houston area, including Galveston, from 11 a.m. CT on Thursday to 10 p.m. CT on Friday. High temperatures there were expected to reach 95 degrees, with feels-like temperatures rising to 114 degrees.
North and Central Texas also had a heat advisory in effect on Thursday afternoon, with heat index values expected to range from 105 to 112 degrees. The difference between the warning and the advisory came down to the expected heat index, not the air temperature alone.
Former Tropical Storm Arthur
The heat arrived while Texas was still dealing with lingering flood impacts from former Tropical Storm Arthur. That overlap left residents facing two weather problems at once: cleanup from flooding and a separate stretch of dangerous heat.
The National Weather Service said the heat was expected to continue into the weekend. For people in the warned and advised areas, the immediate task was not waiting for a later update; it was finding cool locations and water for people, animals, and pets before conditions stayed hot through Friday night.
