AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: This blog is no longer being updated. Click here for the latest weather blog.
The first week of July is now in the books as the hottest start to the month on record for Austin. And we're still looking ahead to even hotter temperatures for this weekend.
Heat Advisories have now been issued across much of Central Texas and will last throughout the weekend. Excessive Heat Warnings have been issued for some areas along and East of the Interstate 35 corridor from 1 p.m. Sunday to 8 p.m. Monday as our heat continues to build.
Record heat this weekend and hottest temperatures since 2020
We recorded our hottest temperature of the year so far at Camp Mabry with 106 degrees on Saturday afternoon. The current forecast calls for a high of 107 in Austin on Sunday. This would also be a new daily record, topping 105 degrees from all the way back in 1917. The heat index on Sunday could be as high as 112.
The most recent forecast now has Monday potentially being our hottest day of the year so far with a forecast high of 109. This would break the daily heat record of 108 from 1917, would be our hottest temperature since July 13, 2020, and one degree shy of the all-time July record at Camp Mabry, which is 110 set on July 23, 2018. Camp Mabry's all-time temperature record is 112, set on Aug. 25, 2011, and Sept. 5, 2000.
This is serious heat. Please take care of yourselves and do your best to avoid long outdoor exposure during the peak heat of the day. We can't completely rule out a stray shower or storm, but most of us will be left hot and dry Sunday.
In response to the expected heat, Austin-Travis County leaders have established locations for cooling centers. Up-to-date locations and hours for cooling centers can be found at www.austintexas.gov/alerts.
Click here for a full list of locations that will be open on Saturday and Sunday.
CapMetro is offering free rides to cooling centers for as long as the excessive heat warning is in effect.
Changes by the end of next week?
Next week still looks hot; however, we do expect heat levels to lower slightly by the middle and end of the week.
The question is, can we get any sort of much-needed rainfall? If the "heat ridge" is able to shift far enough to the west, the door may at least be open for some sort of rain chances around Wednesday and Thursday of next week.
The Climate Prediction Center continues to indicate the possibility of around average rainfall in the six- to 10-day outlook. But for now, we're keeping rain chances slim to none through at least the next seven days. We'll continue to keep a close eye on any potential for rain.
The KVUE Storm Team will continue to closely watch this developing forecast.
In the meantime, the extended forecast can be found below:
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