The National Weather Service has issued Extreme Heat Warnings and Watches across multiple states as a heat dome settles over the central and southern Plains and moves into the Southeast. As of Thursday, August 13, 2026, dangerously hot conditions with heat index values of 105 to 115 degrees are expected in several areas.
Extreme Heat Warnings remain in effect until Saturday evening or Sunday for portions of Missouri, including central, east central, southeast, and southwest regions, as well as south central and southwest Illinois. Similar warnings cover southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western Kentucky, and southeast Missouri, with heat index values forecast up to 115. Portions of central, eastern, north central, and southeast Arkansas are under Extreme Heat Warnings through Sunday evening, where heat indexes may reach 114. Southeast Kansas and parts of Oklahoma also face Extreme Heat Warnings today, with air temperatures as high as 110 and heat indexes near 112.
Heat Advisories are active in parts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Florida. An Extreme Heat Watch is in place for Friday across portions of the Florida Panhandle and Big Bend, where heat index values could reach 116. Southeast Georgia and southeast South Carolina have Extreme Heat Watches for Friday, following current warnings with indexes near 113 to 115.
Forecast highs in the upper 90s to low 100s combined with high humidity will produce these elevated heat indexes. Overnight lows in the mid 70s to low 80s offer limited relief in the affected areas. The Weather Prediction Center notes the upper-level high is strengthening, keeping the heat in place from the central and southern Plains through the Southeast. Conditions are expected to persist through at least mid August, with major to extreme heat risk levels forecast for millions of people across these states.
Officials from the National Weather Service continue to monitor the pattern, which has already brought advisories and warnings spanning from Kansas and Oklahoma eastward into the Carolinas and Florida. Residents in the listed states should follow local forecasts as the heat dome remains entrenched.
