Brutal heat returns to North Texas

After a few days of reprieve, the heat is about to really crank up in North Texas.

Why it matters: The region is under an excessive heat warning and air quality alert Friday, and more warnings are possible in the coming week.

• Friday's high is forecast to be 110.

The big picture: The Dallas-Fort Worth area had temperatures below 80 degrees on Tuesday for the first time in more than two weeks.

• The low remained above 80 for more than 15 days, or 377 hours, until 2am Tuesday, per the National Weather Service. That broke a record set in 1998 for the longest recorded stretch above 80.

The latest: ERCOT, the state's power grid operator, issued the second voluntary conservation notice of the summer Thursday afternoon, asking people to reduce their electricity use between 3pm and 8pm.

• Texans have exceeded the record for power demand 10 times this summer, per the Texas Tribune.

What's happening: The forecast for the next week shows high temperatures well above 100, with the hottest days this weekend.

• The hot, dry conditions mean the region is still at high risk for wildfires.

What they're saying: "The heat is back and here to stay," NWS meteorologist Patricia Sanchez tells Axios.

The bottom line: The normal high for this time in August is closer to 95, with typical daily high temperatures in the lower 90s by the end of the month.