Texas is feeling an early heat wave. It’s a sign of a long, hot summer to come

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🗞️ Driving the news: An early-season extreme heat wave is gripping central and southern Texas this week, with record-breaking temperatures forecast for cities including Austin, San Antonio, and Del Rio
• Over 7 million Texans are under heat alerts, with the National Weather Service issuing its first-ever "extreme heat warning" for more than 5 million people on Wednesday — signaling a dangerous start to what is expected to be a hotter-than-average summer across the U.S.

🔭 The context: This heat wave comes weeks ahead of typical seasonal peaks and follows a multi-year trend of escalating heat in Texas, driven in part by human-induced climate change
• The state's energy grid, already strained by past weather extremes, faces heightened demand
• New grid capacity from solar and storage has been added since the 2021 winter crisis, but vulnerabilities remain
• The Climate Prediction Center forecasts above-average summer temperatures across the entire U.S., with the South and West expected to see the most pronounced effects

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: This event underscores the accelerating impact of climate change on extreme weather
• Research shows that fossil fuel emissions have made events like San Antonio's forecasted 107°F day five times more likely
• The growing frequency of severe heat poses rising health risks — particularly for vulnerable populations — and highlights the urgent need for adaptive infrastructure and climate resilience planning, especially in heat-prone regions like Texas

⏭️ What's next: The heat wave is expected to persist through at least Thursday, with heat risk extending to parts of Houston
• If temperatures exceed current forecasts by even 1–2°F, San Antonio could see its sixth major heat wave above 105°F in just three years
• Drier-than-average conditions are forecast for the western and central U.S. this summer, raising concerns about compounding drought and wildfire risks. Meanwhile, the East may face humid conditions tied to an active hurricane season

💬 One quote: “The risk for heat-related illness is higher than normal,” warned the National Weather Service’s Austin-San Antonio office, pointing to the heat wave’s unusual timing and intensity

📈 One stat: Wednesday’s forecast high of 107°F in Austin would mark the hottest May day ever recorded in the city — and the third-earliest date it has reached triple digits

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