The blast of broiling temperatures which has entered its third week is being blamed on at least 29 deaths nationwide. In Tuscaloosa, Alabama the thermometer has now tipped the 100 mark for 15 straight days. Forecasters predict more scorching temperatures Thursday with heat indexes between 105 -115 today from Georgia to Arizona. Tembin was positioned several hundred miles SSE of Tokyo, Japan Thursday. The storm which has been gradually strengthening during the past 24 hours is moving north at 7 mph.
Forecasts call for the tropical system to remain well off of the Japanese coastline.
Wind shear and cool water temperatures will likely cause significant weakening during the next 48 hours. A fierce summer heat wave across sections of Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana is making outdoor activities nearly impossible for residents of the southern United States. Three deaths have now been blamed on the heat in Louisiana. In Dallas, Texas the thermometer has topped the 100 F mark for the past six consecutive days. As the dry, hot conditions continue more than 120 towns in Texas have now imposed water restrictions.