Why is it so hot? Hurricane Barry to blame for high temperatures in South Texas

Summer is finally here and so is the heat. Here are 5 tips on how you can beat the heat and stay cool this summer. Meagan Falcon/Caller-Times

Temperatures have reached an all-time high this week — some have even broke past 100 degrees.

And we can blame Hurricane Barry for it, officials with the National Weather Service Corpus Christi said.

Penny Harness, a meteorologist with the weather service said Hurricane Barry, which made landfall in Louisiana early Saturday, steered north winds away from the Gulf of Mexico.

More: Short-lived Hurricane Barry weakens to tropical storm, risk of ‘life-threatening’ floods

This made dew points lower and welcomed drier air and higher temps, Harness said.

“You’ll notice that after the sun sets that there hasn’t been any wind to bring cooler weather after a hot day these past few days,” Harness said. “It’s because of the storm.”

The weather service took to Twitter on Saturday that temperatures in Corpus Christi reached more than 103 degrees, which shattered a previous high temperature of 99 degrees in 2009.

This was the third record high temperature along the Texas coast, according to the tweet.

Harness said temperatures will begin to shift to more “normal” weather starting Sunday.

“Temperatures will still be hot …about 100 degrees, but moisture will begin to return on Monday bringing temperatures back to the mid-90s,” Harness said.

Harness said if locals or tourists are planning to cool off from the hot weather at the beach be weary of rip currents.

“We will see a higher risk of rip currents in the area because of Hurricane Barry. So people should be aware if they decide to jump in the water this weekend,” Harness said.

How to keep cool when temperatures are hot:

Stay hydrated
Wear light-colored clothing
Keep out of the sun as much as possible
Keep applying sunscreen every hour to avoid sunburn

Meagan Falcon covers entertainment, things to do and trending news in South Texas. Consider supporting local journalism with a digital subscription to the Caller-Times.

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