By Sarah Grinnell ’26
Science and Environment Editor
Everything is bigger in Texas, and for three straight weeks, this has also included the record high temperatures set by an extreme heat wave blazing through the state, NBC reported.
While CNN divulged that the rest of the world recently set a global record for the hottest day in history —July 4 temperatures capped at an unprecedented 17.8 Celsius (64.04 Fahrenheit) global average — Texas had become one of the hottest places on Earth by late June, NBC described. According to NBC, state temperatures “hit or surpassed 110 degrees Fahrenheit,” and triple-digit heat gripped numerous major cities in the state, such as San Angelo and Del Rio. This kind of weather is standard for parts of the world like northern Africa and the Middle East, but for Texas, its presence was rattling, NBC reported.
In an interview with Mount Holyoke News, John Nielsen-Gammon, Texas State Climatologist, director of the Southern Regional Climate Center and Regents professor at Texas A&M University in the department of Atmospheric Sciences, explained that the heat wave was caused by a “weather pattern that favored heat.”
Nielsen-Gammon further described the weather as “unusual.”
“It started out with both high temperatures and high relative humidity. It was particularly unusual in the handful of stations in western Texas that set all-time temperature records,” Nielsen-Gammon said.
According to Nielsen-Gammon, the conditions have taken a dramatic toll on the community. “There were several direct fatalities from the heat and probably a lot more indirect fatalities as the heat made people more vulnerable to preexisting conditions,” the climatologist described.
While Nielsen-Gammon said that major cities have been working hard to provide cooling centers for those without air conditioning, the conditions turned deadly when, according to NBC, a 14-year-old boy and his stepfather died while hiking in Big Bend National Park, where temperatures had hit 119 degrees.
These extreme temperatures had both economic and health-related consequences.
“Emergency room emissions spiked during the heatwave” and “energy use went up due to the demand from air conditioners working extra hard,” Nielsen Gammon said.
One of the major effects of extreme heat on the body is a phenomenon known as “heat stress.” As Kristie Ebi, professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Washington, explained to The Guardian, heat stress victims can exhibit symptoms ranging from “small, reddish blisters on one’s hands to fainting. In extreme cases . . . it can result in a heatstroke, which can cause the brain and other internal organs to swell, and can be fatal.”
In the case of Texas, Nielsen-Gammon added that the extreme heat impacted the agricultural sector as well.
“The heat dried out the soil and has made crops vulnerable to potential summertime drought and natural areas more vulnerable to summertime wildfires,” Nielsen-Gammon said.
While Nielsen-Gammon said that Texas is “getting a bit of a break from the summer heat, with scattered thunderstorms,” NBC reported that advisories for “excessive heat” have now spread across the Southwest to parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Furthermore, the record-high global temperature reached on July 4 has shown that countless parts of the world are suffering heat-related crises that are the same as or even graver than Texas. Per CNN, a heat wave in India killed at least 44 people in the state of Bihar, and over a six-month period, China has now registered its highest number of hot days. The UK has also recorded its hottest June on record, CNN reported.
According to CDC data, roughly 702 heat-related deaths are recorded each year. However, a study by Climate Central shows that human-induced global warming has made the severe conditions seen in places like Texas, India and China “at least five times more likely.”
According to Nielsen-Gammon, there were several factors which led to the weather extremes in Texas.
“There was a strong upper-level ridge centered just to our southwest. That kept inclement weather away, caused air to sink and warm, and carried air that had been heated up over the desert Southwest and the Mexican Plateau and brought it east to Texas. Combine that with the warm Gulf and global warming, and all the ingredients were in place,” Nielsen Gammon said.
The climatologist also cautioned that there could be more temperature extremes to come.
“As global temperatures continue to inch up, record-breaking heat becomes more likely,” Nielsen Gammon said.
Although Nielsen-Gammon said that more record-breaking temperatures are “unlikely” to be seen this year “just because records like that are rare,” he cautioned that “the drying effect of the heat does make other heat waves more likely this summer, and both the globe and the Gulf of Mexico are still hotter than normal.”