Mr. Gates’ mail route spanned 400 homes and eight miles, said his wife, Carla Gates. On Tuesday morning, he started early, as usual, and packed a cooler with ice water. A few hours after sunrise, he texted his wife to tell her it was 88 degrees outside, he said.
“When you go out, be careful,” he wrote. That was his last message to her.
The early summer heat has been brutal even in areas where residents are used to hot summers. At Main Street Mowing in the north suburbs of Dallas, business often picks up when the temperature hits triple digits, said Tanner Maxson, who owns the business. This year, however, the calls came in late June, not July or August.
“People are throwing in the towel,” Mr. Maxson said. “The phone is ringing off the hook.”
Temperatures in the Dallas area are expected to reach 103 on Monday, with a heat index of about 110. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service expects temperatures to reach about 107. Highs in late June are usually in the low 90s .
In Austin, the temperature is also expected to reach about 103 on Monday. “There’s no saving it,” said Paula Knight, 34, who runs a small business advisory group and tried – just briefly – to get work done at a table outside a coffee shop on Monday. in the afternoon.
However, some residents said they are getting used to the scorching heat. “It’s summer in Texas,” said Petr Obrda, 79, while walking Monday morning in north Austin.
David Montgomery contributed reporting from Austin. John Keefe also contributed.