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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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A powerful heat dome is expected to intensify across large portions of the South and Southeast this weekend, sending temperatures soaring into the upper 90s and triple digits while putting numerous daily temperature records at risk. National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center forecasts show numerous cities that could challenge or tie daily high-temperature records this weekend.
The developing heat wave has already prompted widespread Extreme Heat Warnings, Heat Advisories and other heat-related alerts across parts of the central, southern and eastern United States as forecasters warn of potentially hazardous heat index values and limited overnight relief. While above-normal temperatures are expected across a broad swath of the country, many of the records most vulnerable to being broken this weekend are concentrated in the Southeast and Gulf Coast states, where the combination of intense heat and tropical humidity could push temperatures and heat indexes to levels more typical of the hottest days of summer.
"A heatwave has begun to settle in from the central/southern Plains east through the Southeast as an upper-high strengthens overhead," NWS said in a Wednesday forecast. "Forecast highs in the upper 90s to low 100s along with high humidity will lead to heat indices in the 105-115 degree range. Some potential record-tying/breaking temperatures are possible with many areas forecast to see their hottest temperatures so far this year or even in the past few years."
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At least nine high maximum temperatures are expected to be broken this weekend with several others challenged. A record high maximum temperature, often listed as "high max," refers to the highest air temperature ever recorded at a location on a specific calendar date, with forecasters warning that several long-standing records could be tied or broken as the heat dome strengthens over the weekend.
Many more record high minimum temperatures are expected to be broken. A record high minimum temperature is the warmest overnight low temperature ever recorded for a specific date at a location. It is sometimes called a record warm low.
Friday Temperature Records at Risk
Forecasters say several climate stations across the Southeast and Florida could challenge or surpass daily record highs on Friday. Among the locations being monitored are Fayetteville, North Carolina, where temperatures are forecast to reach 101 degrees, potentially exceeding the standing record of 100 degrees set in 1918, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where temperatures could reach 94 degrees, topping the previous record of 93 degrees set in 1997.
Other locations at risk include Charlotte, North Carolina (98 degrees forecast, tying the 1925 record), Gainesville, Florida (96 degrees versus a 97-degree record set in 2023), Orlando, Florida (97 degrees compared to a 98-degree record from 2007), and Tallahassee, Florida (99 degrees versus a 100-degree record set in 2023).
With forecast temperatures within a degree of existing records in some cities, even minor changes in weather conditions could determine whether daily records are tied or broken.
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Saturday Temperature Records at Risk
The heat is expected to expand on Saturday, with record highs threatened from the Southern Plains to the Southeast. Charleston, South Carolina, is forecast to reach 98 degrees, potentially surpassing its record of 96 degrees set in 2023, while Savannah, Georgia, could tie its more than century-old record of 100 degrees established in 1918.
Elsewhere, Borger, Texas, is forecast to hit 102 degrees, eclipsing the 101-degree record set just last year. Other stations facing record challenges include Gulfport, Mississippi (98 degrees versus a 99-degree record), Little Rock, Arkansas (103 degrees versus a 104-degree record), and Bryson City in North Carolina, where temperatures are forecast to exceed the previous daily record by one degree.
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Sunday Temperature Records at Risk
Dangerous heat is expected to persist into Sunday, with several Gulf Coast and Lower Mississippi Valley locations forecast to approach or tie daily records. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and New Orleans, Louisiana, are both forecast to reach temperatures matching their existing daily records of 99 and 98 degrees, respectively.
Additional records under threat include Greenville and Greenwood, Mississippi, where forecast highs of 103 degrees would tie existing records, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where temperatures are expected to come within a degree of the longstanding 1951 record. Across Florida, Lakeland and Winter Haven are also forecast to approach record territory as the prolonged heat event continues.
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Extreme Heat: How to Stay Safe
Health officials recommend limiting strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest parts of the day, staying in air-conditioned buildings whenever possible and drinking plenty of water, even if you do not feel thirsty. People are also urged to wear lightweight, light-colored clothing, check on older adults, young children and neighbors who may be vulnerable to heat-related illness, and never leave people or pets in parked vehicles. With unusually warm overnight temperatures expected in some areas, residents should take advantage of cooling centers or other air-conditioned spaces if their homes do not cool down at night.
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