The Rio Grande Valley and much of the state of Texas experienced hotter than usual temperatures for this time of the year, an event that coincided with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) calling upon Texans to cut back on their electricity use.
Meteorologists with the National Weather Service station in Brownsville have forecast slightly cooler weather for this coming week.
“I will say right now that (temperatures) are above normal for this time of year,” Joseph Tomafelli, NWS meteorologist, said Monday. “We expect temperatures to be a little bit decreased from what we’ve seen recently because we have an increased chance of rain.”
The weekly forecast comes amidst excessive heat warnings for Southern Hidalgo, Starr and Zapata counties with heat index values of 111 to 120 degrees.
Tomafelli said that the NWS has detected high pressures in the middle layer of the atmosphere, which is helping to bring higher temperatures to the area as opposed to recent years.
When asked if RGV residents can anticipate a continued trend in higher-than-normal temperatures in the coming weeks, Tomafelli said, “That remains to be seen.”
