“temperatures will rise into the upper 90s as steamy air surges northward out of the Gulf of Mexico”

The sweltering heat found in the southern Plains will expand eastward this week, allowing temperatures to climb into the upper 90s from the Southwest to the Atlantic coast.

While some people will see a brief respite from the heat, many across Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas will not.

Temperatures across these areas are expected to consistently rise into the upper 90s. Some locations in Arkansas and Louisiana will flirt with the century mark early this week.

In Texas, Oklahoma and southern Kansas, high temperatures will soar into the 100s. Areas in West Texas could top off around 110 degrees as high pressure pumps blistering heat from central Mexico.

Across the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and northern Florida, temperatures will rise into the upper 90s as steamy air surges northward out of the Gulf of Mexico.

Afternoon and evening showers and thunderstorms will organize across this area in the warm and moist air. A few of the thunderstorms could be slow movers and bring torrential downpours and even damaging wind gusts.

Despite the rain, the spotty storms will only provide a small break from the hot and humid air.

As mentioned last week, exceptional drought conditions are found in nine states across the South. States with the highest concentrations are Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and New Mexico.

Above-normal temperatures have plagued much of the South from the Carolinas to western Texas.

Rainfall from the storms this week will be welcomed across the Deep South and Carolinas.

As the random shower and thunderstorm activity increases along the coastal and eastern areas this week, high temperatures should trend back downward into the lower 90s.