Acadiana's second heat wave of the month will continue to deliver near triple digit heat and dangerous heat indices into the weekend, but there is evidence for change into next week.
In the near term, Excessive Heat Warnings remain in effect for most of Acadiana into Wednesday, and will likely be required a few more days into the weekend.
Heat index values Wednesday will once again be in the 112-118° range in spots.
An upper ridge of high pressure will be moving right overhead by Friday/Saturday and that's when we expect our best chance of 100°+ readings for portions of Acadiana.
The same ridge will begin to flatten starting Sunday into early next week, possibly allowing for just a few isolated, cooling afternoon/early evening storms by early next week.
High temperatures early next week will still be topping out in the upper 90s.
By the mid-latter part of next week, it appears that a portion of a tropical wave entering the Gulf could supply the region with better atmospheric moisture leading to higher rain chances and helping to lower our afternoon highs to where they should be this time of year, in the lower 90s.
See the KATC 10 Day Forecast for the latest.
Hurricane History: 66 years ago today the strongest hurricane on record to strike the U.S. in the month of June made landfall in SW LA. In 1957, Hurricane Audrey was responsible for at least 500 deaths.
The exact number will never be known, as many perished in the storm surge in Cameron and Vermilion parishes, and many missing persons were never found.
Many residents of SW Louisiana went to bed the night before the storm under the impression they had time to evacuate the next day...but the storm which was 200 miles east of Brownsville the day before went through a rapid intensification cycle while accelerating northward at 25-30 mph bringing the deadly storm surge ashore overnight, trapping many to their violent, watery graves in homes and attics.
The storm's impacts reached Lafayette with sustained winds reported at the airport of 58 mph with a gust to 92 mph...which stands to this date, the highest "official" recorded gust in Lafayette...remarkably given all the storms we've been a part of in the Hub City since, including Andrew, Lili, Rita, Gustav, Laura, and Delta.
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