Houston gets hot as heat wave grips Texas
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Much of Texas is bracing for a blistering heat wave that could shatter daily temperature records this week and set a new all-time high for the month of May.
Why it matters: Extreme temperatures are a major public health threat and play a role in droughts and wildfires.
- Hot weather, particularly heat waves, also threatens the reliability of our increasingly strained electric grid.
Driving the news: Houston could reach 95 by Wednesday, nearly 10 degrees higher than normal this time of year, according to the National Weather Service.
- Highs in the mid-90s with little overnight relief will continue through at least the weekend, meteorologists predict.
- Highs near 100 are expected Wednesday in northern communities, including near Conroe, Huntsville, College Station and Livingston.
Zoom out: Triple-digit heat is expected to arrive across Central Texas on Tuesday, marking the region's first 100-degree day of the year — far earlier than average though not the earliest on record.
Context: Human-caused climate change has greatly increased the odds and severity of heat waves and led them to be longer lasting.
Here are our favorite ways to stay cool as the scorching weather rages on.
- ⛸️ Check out Houston's year-round indoor ice skating rinks.
- 🏊 Grab a day pass at any of Greater Houston's hotel and resort pools.
- 👀 Take a tour of the historic Buffalo Bayou Cistern.
- 🚶 Go on a nature walk in the shaded Houston Arboretum.
- 🛝 Take a plunge at Typhoon Texas (only operating on Saturday, but it will open on weekdays starting May 23. )
- 🎨 See some art inside the air-conditioned Museum of Fine Arts Houston.