Sunday
August 23, 2026
Today at a glance
- Weather 106° / 81°An Extreme Heat Warning is on. Early errands, lots of water, check on the neighbors.
- Air quality 57 · ModerateFine for most of us. If your lungs are touchy, take it a little easy.
- Lake Travis 97.2% fullThe lake is close to full — good for boats and for the summer water supply. Down a touch from last week.
- Allergies LowA little grasses and ragweed around — most noses won't notice.
- Power grid90,100 megawattsA busy grid this afternoon, but ERCOT expects enough to go around.
- Sunrise 7:02 a.m.The sun is up for 13 hours and 2 minutes today, and down by 8:04 p.m.
Good morning, Austin. We woke up under an Extreme Heat Warning again, and the National Weather Service has us near 106 this afternoon. If you have errands, the early morning and the late evening are the friendly hours today. Keep the water bottle close, check on your neighbors, and give the dog the shady side of the sidewalk. The big story is the heat itself — two records in two days — and there is a countdown at the bottom.
The Big Story
Two records in two days: how hot this August got, and when it lets up
Austin set or tied a daily heat record at both of its official stations on Saturday and did it again on Sunday. Camp Mabry reached 107 on Saturday, tying the Aug. 22 record set in 2024, and Austin-Bergstrom hit 107, breaking its record of 105 from the same year, according to the National Weather Service. On Sunday, Camp Mabry reached 107 again — a new record for Aug. 23, beating the 106 set in 2010 — and Bergstrom tied its 2010 record of 105.
The records cap a month that was already unusual. Through Aug. 20, Austin had recorded 20 days at 100 degrees or hotter this August, with an average high of 101.4, and the first three weeks ranked as the seventh-warmest August on record, the Austin American-Statesman reported. FOX 7 Austin counted 29 days without measurable rain. A KXAN meteorologist quoted by KUT put the cause plainly: "All sunshine, not much clouds, not much wind to mix things up, so it just tends to be sort of stagnant, and that lets it get hotter."
The systems that carry the city through a stretch like this are holding. ERCOT's forecast peak for Monday is about 90,100 megawatts against roughly 110,400 available, and Lake Travis sits at 97 percent full. What changes this week is the alert level, not the temperature: the Extreme Heat Warning was extended through 7 p.m. Monday, and a Heat Advisory follows through 7 p.m. Wednesday, with highs up to 105. Forecasters see the first chance of scattered showers Thursday and Friday as the high-pressure ridge shifts west, and the Statesman notes the Climate Prediction Center's September outlook leans wetter than normal for Texas.
What's next: The Heat Advisory runs through 7 p.m. Wednesday. The first rain chance is Thursday. The Statesman expects one more week of triple digits before a possible break in early September.
Sources: NWS Record Event Report, Camp Mabry, NWS Record Event Report, Austin-Bergstrom, FOX 7 Austin, KUT, Austin American-Statesman, National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio, ERCOT
The River
18 items · grouped by beat
Roads & transit
CapMetro's Red Line is closed Aug. 24–27 for track work at the future North Burnet/Uptown station; a temporary shuttle and several bus routes cover riders during the four days. Statesman
Public safety & courts
Austin and Pflugerville firefighters fought a large fire Sunday evening along East U.S. 290 near the Austin Country Flea Market, with a smoke plume visible from Interstate 35 and heavy delays on eastbound 290. KXAN reported that two people were injured; fire officials had not said what burned or how it started. FOX 7 Austin, KXAN
Overheard on Bluesky
Two people were injured in a large fire at a flea market off Highway 290 on Sunday evening. https://www.kxan.com/news/local/afd-on-scene-of-a-fire-at-flea-market-off-hwy-290/
The Travis County Sheriff's Office said crews recovered the body of a man in his 20s from Lake Travis late Sunday morning, from a depth of 17 feet across from Pace Bend Park, after a 911 call about a missing swimmer near Lago Vista at 5:47 p.m. Saturday. KXAN, CBS Austin
Overheard on Bluesky
Around 11:30 Sunday morning, responders recovered the body of a male in his 20s from a 17-foot depth, according to the sheriff's office.
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/travis-county/body-of-lake-travis-swimmer-who-went-missing-saturday-recovered-late-sunday-morning/
A judge on Saturday denied Karmelo Anthony's motion for a new trial in the fatal stabbing of Frisco student Austin Metcalf; Anthony was convicted of murder in June and sentenced to 35 years, and the case now moves to the Fifth Court of Appeals. FOX 7 Austin
Gang activity in Austin is trending younger and more violent, an APD gang-unit detective told KXAN, with more juveniles facing felony charges. KXAN
City Hall & county
State administrative law judges have recommended that the Public Utility Commission deny the Bell County East to Big Hill 765-kilovolt line, a nearly 200-mile Oncor and LCRA project crossing Burnet, Williamson, Mason and Llano counties, finding the utilities missed some rules and did not show the line is needed. Oncor said it strongly disagrees and that the evidence of need "has only continued to grow"; the recommendation does not bind the commission, which must rule by late September. KVUE
Lake Austin will be lowered about 10 feet from Oct. 12 to Nov. 30, its first drawdown since 2017, at the city's request and carried out by the LCRA, after a long debate over hydrilla. KXAN
Hutto Fire Rescue said Saturday it will build Fire Station 6 on the east side of Hutto along County Road 132, near County Road 134; the district operates four stations and serves an estimated 73,000 people. KXAN
Power is back on at the Mueller Regional Retail Center after someone stole copper service conductors; Austin Energy said at least 10 businesses were affected and service was restored by Saturday afternoon. KVUE
Schools
Around 10,000 new University of Texas students gathered beneath the UT Tower for "Gone to Texas," the campus's welcome tradition. FOX 7 Austin
UT replaced interim College of Liberal Arts dean David Sosa with a leader who shaped the university's consolidation efforts. Statesman
Business & tech
Austin candle maker Akriti Marwaha, who left a software engineering job to run her handmade candle business, said her coconut-and-apricot-wax candles are about to reach H-E-B shelves. KXAN
Around town
Tens of thousands of people filled downtown Saturday night for the 36th Austin Pride parade and festival, held under the theme "Viva La Resistencia," weeks after the rainbow crosswalks at Colorado and Fourth streets were removed under a state order and days after the city placed a permanent historical marker at the intersection. CBS Austin, KXAN, KUT
Overheard on Bluesky
Thousands of people gathered in downtown Austin on Saturday in celebration of the 2026 Austin Pride Festival and Parade 🌈
https://www.kxan.com/lgbtq/photos-thousands-celebrate-during-austin-pride-2026/
Overheard on Bluesky
The historical marker was created after the state of Texas ordered that rainbow crosswalks in the area be painted over. www.kut.org/austin/2026-...
Austin FC's supporters raised a stained-glass "Amor es Libertad" tifo at Saturday night's match. MLS
Overheard on Bluesky
Austin pride tifo. Pic by cincosolesmedia
Texas
State Rep. Jon Rosenthal, the Democratic nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, held his first campaign town hall in Laredo on Saturday; he faces Republican nominee Bo French. The Texas Tribune
Polling cited by the Statesman shows James Talarico leading Ken Paxton among younger Texas voters in the U.S. Senate race, while older voters have dominated turnout. Statesman
Border barrier construction inside Big Bend National Park is paused; U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have said the plan focused on vehicle barriers and road improvements. KXAN
Sports
Lake Travis, the Statesman's No. 1 preseason high school team, opens its season after the death of a player in August. Statesman
Austin Gamblers rider Jose Vitor Leme produced his 93rd 90-point ride, one away from the all-time record. Statesman
Weather
Today: sunny, with a high near 106 and heat index values as high as 107, on a south-southeast wind around 5 mph. Alerts: the Extreme Heat Warning for Travis County was extended through 7 p.m. Monday, and a Heat Advisory runs through 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 26, with temperatures up to 105 and heat index values up to 110. Tonight: mostly clear, with a low around 81. Next few days: sunny with a high near 105 Monday, near 105 Tuesday and near 104 Wednesday. National Weather Service
River sources: Statesman (Red Line) · FOX 7 (fire) · KXAN (fire) · KXAN (Lake Travis) · CBS Austin (Lake Travis) · FOX 7 (Anthony) · KXAN (gangs) · KVUE (power line) · KXAN (Lake Austin) · KXAN (Hutto) · KVUE (Mueller) · FOX 7 (Gone to Texas) · Statesman (dean) · KXAN (candles) · CBS Austin (Pride) · KXAN (Pride) · KUT (marker) · Texas Tribune (Rosenthal) · Statesman (Talarico) · KXAN (Big Bend) · Statesman (Lake Travis football) · Statesman (Gamblers) · NWS
13 days until Texas football · Texas State at DKR, Sept. 5, 2:30 p.m.
Austin FC's supporters spent the hottest weekend of the year building a stained-glass "Amor es Libertad" banner, then raised it over the south end Saturday night. No air conditioning in that section, either.