Intense heat scorches central, southern USA

Updated 2m ago |

DALLAS (AP) — Sweltering summer temperatures in Dallas are expected to top 100 degrees for the 10th consecutive day as excessive heat warnings grip many central and southern states.

The National Weather Service reported Monday that heat advisories and warnings are in place in parts of 18 states from as far north as Michigan, as far west as Oklahoma, and as far south as Georgia. Temperatures in those places may not reach 100 degrees, but the heat index could make it feel like triple digits.

Texas has seen these summers before. Dallas hit the 100-degree mark for nearly three straight weeks as recently as 2006, and meteorologist Jesse Moore says the city isn't even technically under a heat advisory because the area is used to these temperatures.

That's not the case in Cincinnati, where an excessive heat warning accompanies a possible heat index of 104 degrees.

Highs in the 100s will be common Monday in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, northern Louisiana, and far western parts of Tennessee and Mississippi, according to Weather Channel meteorologist Mark Avery.

http://www.usatoday.com/weather/news/ex ... wave_n.htm
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Cool temperatures in store for Southern California this week

July 11, 2011 | 9:14am

The royal couple may have taken the heat index with them, with Southern California setting in to the beginning of a cooler-than-normal week.

Or maybe it's just that trough of low pressure hovering near Washington that's keeping temperatures down, said Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

"It's going to pretty much cool everything down, especially in the coastal areas because the marine layer is pretty deep," he said Monday. "It's more like June than July."

After a month of mid- to high-80-degree temperatures in downtown Los Angeles that led to some sweaty nights for the AC-less, Kittell said the L.A. area should see temperatures in the 70s for most of the week. Thursday and Friday should be the coolest days, with temperatures dipping down to about 73 degrees, he said.

Kittell said Southern California should start to warm up to normal by Sunday, with temperatures creeping above 80 degrees again.

"It'll be warmer, beach weather," he said. "We'll be back where we expect to be this kind of the year."

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2 ... -week.html