Record-breaking heat wave scorches Texas, millions affected.

Several cities in South and West Texas have set temperature records due to a searing heat wave, prompting health advisories and pleas for energy conservation. The heat wave is straining utility infrastructure and drawing attention to the need for heat mitigation strategies for vulnerable populations. The state climatologist attributes the record heat to a range of factors, including near-record ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, a high-pressure system that is trapping heat over Texas, and climate change. The extreme heat is expected to continue for at least the next couple of weeks.