The Lone Star State is now competing with the Middle East, Africa, and other parts of the world for the title of the hottest place in the entire world.
According to weather reports, several Texas cities reached or exceeded 110 degrees Fahrenheit – temperatures that are not uncommon in Kuwait City or Baghdad, or Djibouti.
Electric Reliability Council of Texas said Tuesday night that power exceeded more than 80,000 Megawatts (MW), surpassing the previous grid record set on July 20, 2022. As more people use electric power, it is expected that even more records will be broken during this week.
At least 13 deaths have been attributed to the heat that has spread across Texas and Louisiana and government warnings about dangerous triple-digit temperatures are now being issued for Mississippi and Tennessee.
In some parts of the Southeast, it was predicted that temperatures would exceed 100 degrees during mid-week. High humidity levels were also expected to cause heat index values to rise above 115 in certain areas.
A man died in Shreveport late Sunday, Louisiana. It was the second heat-related fatality in Louisiana in an unusually hot June. The 49-year-old man from Bossier City was found on a Shreveport sidewalk, where the temperature reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit — 10 degrees higher than average.
Heat was also blamed for the death of a woman aged 62 on June 21, in Keithville. The Caddo Parish Coroner’s Office reported that relatives found her after several days of being without electricity due to severe storms.
Webb County includes Laredo. Eleven deaths in Texas were caused by heat. According to Webb County Medical Examiner, Dr. Corinne Stern, the dead were aged between 60 and 80, with many having underlying health issues.
The vast majority of homes do not have air conditioners. Stern stated that they either had the fans turned off or on, but did not have proper ventilation. There have been a few people who don’t use their air conditioners because of the cost.
Two Florida hikers died in the extreme heat at Big Bend National Park.
U.S. Postal Service has been prompted by the heat to allow letter carriers to start earlier. According to the National Association of Letter Carriers Lone Star Branch, the U.S. The move comes in the wake of the June 20 death of a Texas-based letter carrier, who passed away due to near triple-digit temperatures. The cause of death for the letter carrier was still being investigated Wednesday.
